Don't Wanna Be Invisible
by Matchin' Laces
Summary: All a girl knows is the dark world that she lives in. She's tired of being Invisible, especially when a newsie catches her eyes.
1. Default Chapter

Invisible

This was originally going to be a one-shot fic, but I might decide to make it longer. Enjoy!

I first saw him across the street from me. My breath was taken away the second I laid eyes on him, but I knew that nothing would come of it. Nothing ever did and I didn't expect anything to. There was something different about him though, different from any guy I had ever knew. To him though, I was simply invisible.

What are you doing tonight, I asked myself. Oh, nothing…the same old thing happened every night. I usually found some alley to sleep in, unless I could pay to stay at the girls' lodging house. I didn't usually have the money though. They were very strict about paying the dues for staying the night.

Him though, he probably hung out with his friends, laughing and joking throughout the night. I didn't have any friends. No one understood me at all, so I was basically left alone in the world. I imagined all the jokes that he would tell, how much fun he would be having…but he didn't even know me. Even if he did, he would never recognize me a second time. I was sure of that. 

I was alone most of the time, trying so hard to ignore the empty feeling within my heart, and my stomach. New York was a cruel place to live, especially when you were only a girl. Dreams? I don't have any. They died a long time ago, around the time that everything that I knew got destroyed. I had no future, I had no past. I would go so far as to say I have no present. Every moment was the same, dark and cold, nothing more. There was no cloud and with no cloud, there came no silver lining. There was nothing, just pure darkness that swallowed everything around you until there's only emptiness left in your heart.

You noticing me would be like a distant thought. I wouldn't be able to believe it or even acknowledge that it was there. I saw you laughing across the street that day and even though I couldn't hear it, I imagined that I could. It would be pure and beautiful, enough to turn a bad day around in an instant, at least in my world. What could I do to make you see that I was alive? That I was standing only a little distance away? Nothing, I suppose. I could only do nothing.

I wondered what it would be like to watch you in your room at night. I knew you weren't rich. You were a newsie and made the most honest living that you knew how, even if it involved a little lying. I knew where the lodging house was…it was just down the block from the girls' lodging house. Would I ever have a chance to become more than just a shadow to you? Maybe you would see me, love me? If only I were invisible, just so I could see you live your life. Wait, I already was invisible…at least to you.

A few weeks later, I learned your name. It was quite by accident that I managed to run into you. You apologized…the first time I had heard you speak. Then your friend called you over.

"Hey Mush," he called out, "Come on, everyone's meeting at Tibby's now."

"Be right there," you called back, totally forgetting about the girl you had knocked to the ground. You stood to your feet and walked off. I stared after you, knowing a little more about you after all. I couldn't even catch the eye of one newsie? I couldn't catch anyone's eye. 

A few days after that, I saw you again. You were in the crowd, but I caught a glimpse of you before you disappeared into the mass of people. I gathered up what courage I had left and called out to you…by name. I saw you pause for a second, looking around, before continuing on your way. I could just barely hear your footsteps moving away from me. Maybe, if I knew what went on in your mind…your hopes, your dreams. Maybe then you'd pay attention to the plain looking girl at your feet.

But no, I was nothing more than a shadow, blending into the darkness. I disappeared within the blackness of the alleyways, always standing behind you, but still you don't notice. I was in your shadow, but you couldn't see me. Nobody could. Oh, if only I was invisible, this would be over. It would all come to a halt. Wait, I already was invisible. I had almost forgotten.

Note: Hope you liked this fic. I wrote this one day when I was bored. Tell me if you want me to continue. Don't get the wrong idea by this story. It's really a song fic. It's sung by Clay Aiken. I tried to follow along the best I could to the lyrics. Anyway, review please!


	2. Why Can't You See Me?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the newsies. Only the girl.

Why Can't You See Me?

A few days later, the air was beginning to get colder. I was still living on the streets, trying to find someplace warmer to sleep. I didn't have much luck though. It grew much darker during the day, making the nights that much more terrifying. I had just about given up hope of finding a 'safe' alley, when I spotted light coming from an above window. That was enough to give me a little hope.

I stepped into the alley. Slowly, I pulled a small object out of my pocket. I never wore it around in public, someone would probably try to steal it. It was the last thing I had left of my family. The small silver locket held only two pictures, one of my mother, the other of my father. I liked looking at it, it reminded me of what I could have one day. My father had been in a war. Let's say it this way…he never came back. I was fifteen then. I remembered everything about him. When he died, my mother could no longer take care of me. She sent me to live with some relatives, who I had never liked. 

I didn't want to be with them, they weren't my family…my real family. Soon after, I had run away from them. They didn't like me too much either. They had tried to force my mother into an arranged marriage, but she was already in love with my father by then. They had pretty much disowned her, and she only turned to them because they were the only family that my mother had left. My leaving was for the best.

The little light the alley had to offer didn't allow me to see the two pictures. Glancing up at the inviting light inside, I took the risk of going up there, just to get the comfort of seeing those pictures again. Carefully and silently, I climbed up the fire escape and to the lit window. Opening the locket, I smiled upon seeing the loving faces of my mother and father looking up at me. My thoughts were disturbed by a yell inside the window. I turned quickly to see what the commotion was. 

A boy had jumped up, yelling about his victory in some poker game. But he wasn't what had caught my attention. It was one of the boys sitting beside him. It was the one I had seen many weeks ago, the one that they called Mush. My gaze lingered on him for a few seconds as I imagined his voice, his laugh, everything about him. Then the boy who had shouted looked in my direction.

"Hey," he yelled, looking directly at me. He and several of the other boys ran for the window, "What are you doing here?"

"Shoot," I said, standing up and racing down the stairs. Yells sounded above me as the boys chased after me on the fire escape. I ran faster, reaching ground and rushing out of the alley. By the time the boys reached where I had been standing, no one was anywhere in sight.

"Where'd she go," Race asked. The others looked around for several minutes. 

"Look what I found," Mush said minutes later. Several of the boys gathered around him. Mush held up a silver locket that had been left lying open in the dirt. 

"Do you think it's her's," Blink asked. 

"Maybe," Mush answered, "She must have dropped it." He studied the pictures inside, "That must be her family."

"Or maybe it _was_ her family," Blink said.

I ran down the street, turning into another alley. It led out onto another street and I quickly headed for it, hoping that a hiding place was in sight. Seeing a restaurant nearby, I immediately hid behind it. I felt the money in my pocket, three cents, not enough for a meal or to pay for lodging for the night.

When I heard footsteps, I quickly ducked into the door leading into the building. Cooks and workers looked up as I closed the door behind me. They all gave me a confused look, but said nothing. Perhaps they were used to this happening. A few smiled, as if thinking that I was playing a game of some sort. The footsteps faded away and I cautiously peeked outside. There was nothing. I stepped out, satisfied that I had gotten away so quickly.

Note: If you might be interested in being in this story, either review or leave an e –mail at justus2003@charter.net Make sure to tell what part you would want. Hoped you enjoyed the chapter.


	3. What Goes Through Your Mind

What Goes Through Your Mind

Disclaimer: I don't own the newsies, Ears, or Britts. I own my character and that's it.

Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and sent a CC or is about to send a CC. It's still open if anyone else is interested. I love the characters. If anything seems out of character, please tell me. 

Shout Outs: 

GeometryGal – Hey, hope you like your character. Tell me if anything seems out of character at all. Clay Aiken does rock, doesn't he? I'm glad you like this story.

FrenchyGoil – Of course I like your character. She was fun to write. Hope you like it. Happy end…hmmm…I don't know yet. I'll just let it be a surprise.

Dreamer Conlon – I promise that you'll be in the next chapter. My computer was being stupid today and I couldn't get on the Internet until around 9 at night, but I could get on Word, so I went ahead and wrote this chapter. I hope you understand.

Walking down the street, my mind was swirling with the thoughts at what had just happened. Why had I been so stupid? How could I sit by a lighted window and expect not to get caught? I was glad that I had gotten away just in time though. It would have been better if he hadn't been the cause of me staring in the first place.

The lights of the streetlamps were comforting in a way. For once, I wasn't invisible. Anyone could see me from a distance, even though no one was around to look anyway. I liked the dark actually. It was really calming sometimes, allowed me to think, even though I did enough of that anyway. Maybe that was my problem, I think too much.

Once I reached an alleyway that seemed less threatening than the others, I walked inside. Some old boxes would help to keep the wind from blowing on me from all sides. Sitting in an opening the boxes had made, I reached into my pocket. I only needed to feel the locket again and maybe everything would be all right. 

My mom had given it to me the day she sent me to live with my horrible relatives. Dad had given it to her on their first anniversary. He said that when she closed it, they were together always, no matter what happened. She wanted me to have it, so that me, my mom and dad, would always be together. They would never really leave me.

When the familiar heart-shaped metal never touched my fingers, I frantically searched my other pockets. What had I done with it? I searched the alleyway hurriedly, hoping to see the metal object captured in the light above. I barely noticed the tears flowing down my face as I finally realized that it was gone. The only memory of my family had disappeared.

"No," I whispered inaudibly, "It can't be gone. We were supposed to be together forever." Where had I dropped it? All I remember is running and the panic I felt. The restaurant! Had I dropped it there? I couldn't remember anything. That place…maybe it was still open.

Forgetting about getting a warm place to sleep for the night, I raced back out the alleyway. Okay, now where do I go? Tracing my steps back, I turned to the right. Within minutes, the familiar door appeared in front of me. I quickly grabbed the doorknob and turned. Locked! I pounded on the door a few times, hoping that maybe someone was still there. No answer.

I dropped to my knees. I suddenly realized how tired I was. I might as well stay here for the night. It was as safe a place as any other. Besides, maybe in the morning, I would find the locket here. Maybe someone found it and is waiting for the owner to come and claim it. I wanted to be here as early as possible for that…and what better way than to be here as soon as the sun rises? 

"Are you okay," a voice woke me in the morning. I slowly opened my eyes to see someone standing over me. I quickly sat up in surprise. The person gasped and took a quick step back.

"What are you doing here," they asked me. Blinking quickly to adjust to the light, I looked up at them. A girl with wavy, reddish-brown hair and brown eyes was staring at me. She stood at 5 foot 5. 

The memories of the night before suddenly flooded through my mind. I had almost forgotten why I was there. Then I saw the familiar alleyway where I had run into the previous night and felt the empty pocket.

"I'm looking for something," I answered cautiously, "something I lost." She just appeared to be more confused as to what I was doing there.

"And you think you lost it here," she asked. Suddenly, she looked like she understood, "You're the girl from last night, aren't you?"

"You work here," I asked.

"Yeah," she answered, "I'm Brittany or Britts by my friends." She waited for me to tell her my name, but I didn't say a word. Her smile vanished slowly.

"Did I drop anything yesterday," I questioned, breaking the awkward silence between us. Please tell me I did, I begged her in my mind. Don't ask me what it is. I hated explaining it to people, especially those that I didn't know.

"I don't think so," Britts replied, "Look, are you hungry, cause I can grab you something real quick."

"No thanks," I told her, standing up quickly and running off. I now knew where I had dropped it. Right by that lodging house, since I had seen those boys inside. Hopefully, they weren't there.

"What's that," Flora, or Ears asked Mush on the way to Tibby's. She was pointing to the silver trinket that he was carrying. He had been examining it very closely for several minutes.

Ears had wavy blonde hair with red highlights and dark blue eyes. She had freckles on her nose and was around Race's height. She was 17 years old.

"A locket," Mush answered, stating the obvious.

"Where'd you get it," she prompted, hoping that he would get the hint.

"This girl dropped it," Blink came into the conversation, "Mush saw her right outside our window last night." 

"So that's what I heard last night," Ears commented, "I wondered what all the yelling was about. It seems that one of you has a secret admirer." She smiled at them teasingly. Several of the guys laughed.

"I wonder who she was," Mush wondered, not seeming to notice that he had said it out loud. 

"I'd rather know what she was doing there," Race said right beside Mush, causing him to jump in surprise. He had forgotten that his friend had been standing right there.

"Same here," Jack agreed, "Let me see that locket." Mush reluctantly handed it over. Jack opened it and studied the pictures inside.

"I don't think pictures will help us discover who she is Jack," Davey said. He hadn't been there when it had happened, but he had heard all about it in the morning, "You know how many people are out on the streets, she could be any one of them."

"It was worth a try," Jack admitted before handing it back to Mush. Tibby's appeared in front of them and the group entered the diner, occupying some of the back booths. Race immediately pulled out a cigar and lit it quickly.

"Race, put that out," Britts told him, walking up to the group, "We're in a diner. I'm sure no one else wants to smell the smoke." He looked at her for a second before returning to what he had been doing.

"Race," Ears asked, slowly moving her hand forward. Race noticed this slight movement and his eyes went wide. He moved to jump up, attempting to get away with his precious cigar. 

"Ears, don't," he said, as close to begging as he could actually get. Too late, she had already grabbed onto one of his ears and pulled, "Ow, let go!" She held out her hand and he dropped the cigar into it reluctantly. She let go and deposited the cigar into an ashtray. Several of the guys laughed at the scene.

"What can I get you," Britts asked, managing to control her laughter for a few seconds. She was too used to them acting this way. Everyone told her what they wanted. She turned to go until she noticed the locket still in Mush's hand, "What are you doing with that?"

"Some girl dropped it in the alleyway last night," he answered. Britts looked thoughtful for a second.

"Funny, I met someone this morning who said she had lost something," she told them. This immediately got the guys interest.

"Did she say what," Dutchy asked.

"No," Britts answered, "She ran off before I could even ask her. I didn't even get her name." 


	4. Wish I Could Be

Notes: Ok, I'm still accepting characters. I can use some more newsies(guy or girl) and some more workers for Medda. Oh, I forgot to mention that I want to know exactly what job you want at Medda's. Either a performer, backstage helper, ect. Please tell what you want. No more spots are open at Tibby's. Two is enough. 

Shout-Outs

Written Sparks - Hey, hope you like your character. I'm glad you like my writing.

GeometryGal - I'm glad you like your character. I just love using other characters in my stories.

Dreamer Conlon - Ok, you are definitely in this chapter. Hope you like it. Tell me if anything is out of character and I will try to fix it.

Wish I Could Be

I ran as fast as I could to the lodging house. Upon hearing no laughter or yelling inside, I cautiously approached the front door. Before actually opening the door, I pulled a hat on my head, covering my face. Pushing it open gently, I entered slowly. 

"Can I help you," a voice asked suddenly. Looking up, I saw an older man sitting at a desk just inside the building, "I'm Mr. Kloppman, I run this place."

"I was just wondering," I started. He seemed nice enough, but could I really trust him. Might as well, otherwise I would never find out, "I lost a locket yesterday. I believe it was right outside this building. Has anyone found it?" If I just made a mistake, I would never know. Hopefully, he wouldn't ask anyone or at least not mention my description.

"Don't believe anyone has," Kloppman answered, "I'll ask the boys when they get back."

"Oh, no that's okay," I told him, "I must have dropped it somewhere else. Thanks anyway." I started to back towards the door, only to hear it open behind me. I jumped to get out of the way, barely missing getting hit by the swinging door.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you okay," a girl's voice said.

"Yeah," I answered, "You didn't hit me or anything."

"Maybe she can help," Kloppman suggested, pointing behind me. I turned to find a girl standing there, the door just closing behind her. She was about 5 foot 7 with longish light blonde hair, green eyes, and was lightly tanned. She looked from me back to Kloppman and to me again.

"What's going on," she asked, giving her attention to Kloppman.

"Nothing," I said quickly, hoping that Kloppman would take the hint. He didn't.

"She lost a locket yesterday. Have you seen one," he asked her. 

"No, sorry," she said, now turning to me, "I'm Sparks." She held out her hand, which I ignored for the moment. 

"Thanks anyway," I said before turning to leave.

"Wait," Sparks called behind me, "I'm just going to meet the guys at Tibby's. Why don't you come with me and see if any of them has seen it?"

"No," I said, perhaps a little too quickly and loudly, "I mean, it's okay. I'm sure that I dropped it somewhere else." She gave me a strange look, like she knew that I was hiding something. I quickened my pace, almost running out of the lodging house.

"Everyone ready to head over to Medda's," Rochelle, or Jinx asked, exiting the back of the diner. Jinx had light brown hair that fell to her shoulders and hazel eyes. She stood at 5 foot 6 and had palish skin. "It's supposed to be a really good show tonight."

"Yeah, Snow's supposed to be doing an act," Blink added.

"I think that's the only reason he's going," Jinx teased him.

"It is not," Blink told her. Blink and Snow had been going out for a few weeks now, but it had never been finalized since he hadn't yet asked her to be his girlfriend.

"Sure, that's why you always go whenever she's there," she replied, causing the other guys to laugh.

"Where's Sparks," Blink asked, changing the subject, "We shouldn't leave without her." 

"I don't know," Ears told him, "I bet she'll be here in a minute."

"Bet? How much," Race asked, looking up.

"Not a real bet," Ears said, rolling her eyes at him. Just then the door opened and Sparks walked in, "Here she is now."

"Don't change the subject," Jinx said, suddenly looking over at Blink, "So, are you gonna ask Snow to be your girlfriend?"

"Leave me alone," he said, attempting to ignore her. 

"Are we going now," Britts asked, "Our shift was over ten minutes ago." She pointed to herself and Jinx. Blink sent her a grateful look for getting the attention off him.

"Hey, has any of you seen a locket lying around," Sparks asked suddenly. All talking stopped as they turned to look at her and then at Mush.

"Why," Mush asked.

"There was some girl at the lodging house looking for one," Sparks explained, "Thought she lost it and we might have seen it."

"Did you get her name," Britts asked. Sparks shook her head.

"No, she ran off before I could ask.why?" 

"The same thing happened to me this morning," Britts told her, "Wouldn't tell me her name, ran off suddenly. Guess she was heading to the lodging house."

"Well, what did she look like," Jack asked, "She was at the lodging house last night too."

"All I know is that she has brown hair," Sparks admitted, "She was wearing a hat, pulled down. I couldn't see her face."

"We have the locket," Mush said, pulling it out of his pocket and showing her. Sparks took it and opened the heart shape, "We think that's her family."

"Guess we'll have to return it later," Sparks said, handing it back, "Let's go already. The show's starting in fifteen minutes."

I stopped when I saw the familiar building. It was 'Irving Hall'. I often snuck in to see the show, but mostly to get away from the cold. Taking a few steps back, I located the back door and slipped inside, after making sure that no one was paying attention.

The hallway was dimly lighted, a sure sign that a show was about to start. I made my way through the familiar maze of the backstage area. I took light steps, knowing that any sound could attract attention. Too late, I thought just as I ran into someone rushing across my path. I stepped back quickly.

"Who are you," the girl asked after a minute, sounding a little unsure of asking the question, "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to see the show," I replied slowly.

"Do you always come through the back door," she asked nervously, stepping forward a little. She had dirty blonde hair that went to her shoulders, hazel eyes and had lightly tanned skin. She was about 5 foot 3.

"Yeah," I told her, "Usually the show isn't about to start though. Are you a performer?" I felt that I could trust her. After all, she didn't know about the locket.

"No," she answered, "I just help with backstage work. I wish I could be out there though." She paused for a second, "Who are you?" I immediately wished that I were somewhere else at that moment.

"Uh.I'm." I started, raking my brain for any fake names that I could use, "I'm.Alaska." I blurted this last part out. It was the one place I could think of that was as far as I could get from here.

"I'm Dreamer," she introduced herself, holding out her hand. I shook it briefly, "Wanna watch the show from backstage? I could use the help." I looked at her in surprise. She was asking me to stay? It had been so long since I'd been around people that I had forgotten what it was like to have someone be genuinely nice to me.

"Sure," I agreed quickly. I wasn't quite ready to go back outside. Besides, after all the years I had been alone, it seemed that I had finally found a friend. I guess I had also never really given someone a chance before. Maybe it was time that I did. 


	5. Are You Really Alone?

Notes – I know this update took a little longer, but I've been busy. Tuesday night I had a performance at school in my class play. I didn't get back until nine and I had to stay after school to rehearse. Wednesday was church and afterwards we all went to my youth pastor's house until around 11. A lot of stuff is going on. Thursday, well no excuse except that I was being lazy and I watched 'Lion King 1 ½', which was pretty good by the way. I watched it again today. 

I guess this is my Valentine's Day present to everyone, unless I update tomorrow, but we'll have to see, even though I detest the holiday. Oh yeah, I also was busy making cookies yesterday for all my friends, my gift to them. It was the least I could do, but it's harder when you have a friend who doesn't like chocolate. So, I had to make two kinds. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Shout-Outs

GeometryGal – Hey, I'm really glad you like it. Thanks for the review.

Written Sparks – Glad you like it. I know this has nothing to do with my story, but did you get my e-mail? Please say that you did. If not, try to get in touch please. Thanks.

FrenchyGoil – Of course I forgive you. I get busy sometimes too. I know it's hard at times. I'm glad you like your character.

Dreamer Conlon – I'm glad you like it. Thanks for the review.

Lanen 1 – Thanks for reviewing. Hope you like the update. 

Are You Really Alone?

The show was great. It was different watching from backstage though. I helped Dreamer out by doing whatever she needed me to do. It was so hectic backstage sometimes, I didn't even get to give Medda a proper introduction because she was getting ready for her next acts. 

The other performer, Snow, was fantastic. It was the first time I had seen her on stage before. The audience loved it. I constantly heard comments coming from the crowd. I know that I had never gotten that kind of attention before. It would have made me nervous anyway.

After the show, Dreamer offered to introduce me to Medda. I had told her a lot about myself, she didn't seem to by the type who would tell secrets. Well, almost everything…except my crush and the missing locket. That was something more personal. If it was one thing I didn't tell, it was who I liked. She did know that I was living in the streets and that I needed a job however. 

I had agreed to this. She led me through the hallways until a small set of stairs appeared before us. Climbing up, Dreamer knocked on the door at the top and waited for a reply before entering. I quickly saw that Medda was busy. Another girl was in there as well. I recognized her as the other performer. 

"Come in," Medda greeted us. I recognized her as well, with her bright pink outfit, "Who's this?" She pointed to me. I immediately averted my eyes to the ground.

"This is Alaska," Dreamer replied, when she saw that I wasn't, "She needs a job Medda. Do you think she could…"

"Of course," Medda cut her off, "I would be glad to help."

"I'm Snow," the other girl said, stepping forward. Snow was 5 foot 7, thin and curvy, with mid-back length light blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. I acknowledged her with a nod.

"Do you have anywhere to stay," Medda asked.

"No," I replied, "I've being living on the streets lately."

"Dreamer, don't we have an extra room upstairs," she asked. Dreamer nodded, "Alaska, you're welcome to stay here. I have plenty of room. Dreamer and Snow stay here as well, so you won't be alone."

"You sure," I asked slowly. I couldn't believe it. I had expected Medda to immediately turn me down. But she had agreed and was giving me a place to stay. It had been a long time since I've had anything of my own. The only belongings I had were my clothes and the locket…and only when I could find it.

"Yeah, it'll be great," Snow said, "We need another girl around here to talk to. We run out of things to say sometimes." Dreamer nodded her agreement.

"Let me show you your room,' Dreamer said, "It's right between mine and Snow's." She led me down the hallway and to a plain white door. Opening it, I stepped inside after her.

It wasn't a very large room, but to me, it might of well have been a palace. A bed sat against the wall, along with a small dresser and nightstand. A lamp was placed on top of the stand, which was right beside a window. Dark curtains covered the window that looked out onto the street below. I must have dazed off a bit, because a voice suddenly cut into my thoughts.

"Dreamer and I are going out to eat," Snow told me, "Do you want to join us?" I froze when I heard these words.

"I…um…I don't have any money," I replied, once again looking at the floor. I looked back up when I felt something slip into my hand. It was a single dime. Dreamer took a small step back, returning to her place beside Snow, "You don't…"

"It's okay," Dreamer replied, "I have more."

"Come on," Snow said, already starting to walk out the door, "It'll be closing in about an hour."

We walked most of the way in silence, well, me anyway. Snow and Dreamer were talking beside me. I didn't quite feel comfortable enough to join in on their conversation. I didn't even know we had arrived until I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. Snow waved for me to follow them inside.

Once I did though, I stopped in my tracks. Sitting a few tables away was the guy I had seen a few days ago. Feeling a little nervous, I stepped backwards slowly and tried to slip out the door. 

"Guys, this is…" Snow trailed off, "Where'd she go?" She looked over towards me and motioned for me to join them. I shook my head, nervously looking over at the group. Sighing, she stared at me for a second. Slowly, I stepped forward again. I could feel the stares aimed at me and moved uncomfortably until I reached her.

"Hi," I mumbled to the group, not daring to look up and meet their eyes…_his_ eyes. I self-consciously pulled at my shirt in an attempt to straighten it a bit. 

"This is Alaska," Snow continued, "She's new and just got a job at Medda's with Dreamer and me." A jumble of names was thrown at me. They all seemed to blend together in some sort of strange language. The one that stood out though was the one that echoed inside my mind from that one day…Mush. 

Just the sound of his voice made me stop and slowly dare to gaze up from the interesting floor pattern. I found him glancing over at me. Our eyes caught, icy-blue meeting a deep brown, and locked for a second. I quickly realized what I was doing and looked away hurriedly, as if breaking some sort of spell, even though I could have looked into them forever. 

I glanced around, trying to find a free spot to sit. Snow was already sitting by…Blink I think it was. Dreamer was sitting nearby with who I believed was Jack and Spot. 

"So you're Alaska," someone asked. I spun around quickly, nearly knocking into the person talking. He stood about an inch taller than my 5 foot 2. He took a small step back and then laughed quietly. 

"Hi…" I replied quickly. He paused, as if expecting me to continue. 

"Race," he finally said, holding out his hand. I shook it quickly, "Come sit with us." Not willing to argue, I followed him to his table. He reintroduced everyone at the table, including two that he didn't really have to but did anyway. There was Skittery, Sparks, Bumlets, Ears and Mush. I stood close by uncertainly until motioned to sit down and the only spot open was by…Mush, of course. I slid into the seat, keeping some distance between myself and him.

"Hi," he said in a voice that just about made me want to melt right where I was. I smiled weakly and returned my gaze to my hands. I shifted in discomfort and remained silent. He soon went back to his previous conversation. Soon came the first time I heard him laugh. It was as pure and beautiful as I had imagined. I almost didn't believe that it was real. 


	6. What Would It Take?

Notes: Ok, I'm going to list everything I need for any CCs sent in, that way I won't have to keep e-mailing everyone with it. 

I need: Name, nick, age, personality, looks, newsie preferred, likes and dislikes, history, newsie friends(in other words, not romantically involved), and what part wanted. Remember only newsies and workers at Medda's(performer, backstage, etc.) Also remember that I'm taking both guys and girls. 

Everyone, wish me luck. Thursday, I take my driver's test at school. I'm definitely tired of being driven around all the time. Too bad I have to wait for 6 months after getting my license until I can drive by myself. But, it'll be in time for senior year of school! Also, this week is exams. I'm not sure if I'm exempt yet or not, but I believe I am. Just got back from watching a production of 'Midsummer Night's Dream' at my school. It was really good. 

Shout-Outs

GeometryGal – Thanks for reviewing. You don't have to wait any longer!

Written Sparks – It's okay. I've been kinda busy lately too. Congrats with the cast coming off!

Wisecracker88 – Hey, I'm glad you like it. Thanks for the review!

FrenchyGoil – Here's the next update. As for your questions, you'll just have to read and find out.

What Would It Take?

By the time I returned to Medda's for the night, I was living half in a dream. Just sitting close to Mush made my mind daydream. I dreamed about what it would be like to be enclosed in his arms or held for a split second in a kiss. Unfortunately though, those things don't happen to girls like me. 

That's how I was though. I dreamed of the best outcome possible, that way, I wasn't surprised when it didn't happen. I never expected it to anyway. 

Snow was smiling the whole way back. It seems that Blink finally asked her to be his girlfriend. I heard all the teasing remarks that were directed at him and when I looked over, he didn't look like he minded at all. I was excited for her, but not as excited as I could have been. It seemed that I couldn't be very happy for someone when I couldn't understand their happiness. I had never felt love like that before. Snow was talking with Dreamer the whole way back. 

Everyone I met seemed really nice. Still, I knew that I would never feel excepted into the group of friends. I didn't get asked a lot of questions, though I noticed that Sparks kept looking over at me, almost as though she recognized me. 

Upon entering my room, I immediately headed for the bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was weird. Love was one of those things that I both wanted and hated. Wanted because I had never felt it before. Hated because everyone else seemed to have it but me. I know this wasn't completely true. There were plenty of other people who had never felt it, but it doesn't bother them as much. 

Deciding that I was too tired to complain to myself about love, I fell asleep, just as uneasily as most nights. I wasn't counting on a sunny morning, I never did. As long as it didn't rain, I was fine. Rain was one thing that I hated more than my lack of a love life.

* * *

The large group walked back towards the lodging house much later. After waving goodbye to Jinx and Britts, the newsies continued to their destination. Out of everyone, those two were the only ones with family. 

"Is something wrong Sparks," Skittery asked her.

"Yeah, you seemed kinda distant at Tibby's," Ears agreed.

"That girl…Alaska," Sparks said, "She just seemed…familiar."

"You sure you've never met her before," Ears asked. 

"I'm sure," Sparks told them as the lodging house came into view. They climbed up the front steps and inside the building. Kloppman greeted them as they signed in, "I don't know, maybe I'm imagining things."

"Hey Kloppman," Ears greeted the older man, "Sparks told us that someone was here looking for a locket."

"That's right," Kloppman agreed. Mush pulled it out and showed it to him.

"I found it outside last night," he said. Sparks gazed at the silver object for a second, as if trying to piece together a puzzle. 

"That's it," Sparks suddenly said, causing everyone to jump in surprise, "She was the girl from earlier. I knew I recognized her voice, even if she didn't talk much. That's her locket." 

"Her," Mush asked, "but why is she working at Medda's then? I thought she would have a family. I mean…there's pictures." 

"I guess she doesn't anymore," Blink told him.

"And we did see her outside," Specs pointed out.

"Kloppman, what did she look like," Jack asked, "It might help us out."

"Well, she was on the short side," Kloppman told them, "and had short brown hair. I never saw her eyes."

"It fits her description," Blink said.

"Obviously, she's not going to ask if anyone found it," Sparks said, "For some reason, she doesn't want anyone to know."

"There has to be something we can do," Mush spoke up, "But what?"

"I have no idea," Jack replied, "But we'll think of something."

* * *

"Time to get up," a voice said. I didn't normally get to sleep in a real bed, so I tried to ignore the voice for a while. I was actually comfortable where I was currently and wasn't very willing to move, "Alaska." The voice got closer, "Alaska!"

I slowly opened my eyes. I guess they were expecting me to jump up in surprise, but it never happened. I didn't scare easily, "What?" Snow didn't seem to hear me, so I repeated my question a little louder. She spun around quickly. 

"It's time to get up," she said, "Medda wants me and Dreamer to show you around a little. We don't have to be back until 5, so we have all day to show you around." 

I looked up when the door opened. Dreamer stepped inside, "Medda wanted me to give these to you," she said, holding up a pile of clothes, "She noticed that you needed some." I glanced over the bright colors.

"Doesn't she have anything other than dresses," I asked, holding up a frilly one with lots of lace. I dropped it onto the bed, as if it was the most horrible thing I had ever seen, which it was. Lace and me just didn't go together, "Or something that doesn't hurt my eyes."

"I don't know, but I'll check," Dreamer said, exiting quickly. 

"Thanks," I called after her.

"So, did you have fun last night," Snow asked me. 

"Yeah," I answered slowly, "Your friends are really nice

"I saw you sitting over with Mush and the others," she told me. There was a slight pause, "Do you like anybody?"

"Well…" I trailed off, hoping that something would happen to change the conversation. Fortunately, something did.

Dreamer came back at the second. I silently thanked her for the distraction. She was holding a few articles of clothing, "It's the best I could do." I studied the plain skirts and shirts. 

"It's better than nothing," I told her, just picking up a shirt, ignoring the skirts for now. I changed quickly and then we headed out. I watched them talk and wondered if I'd ever have that kind of friends. 


	7. If Hearts Were Unbreakable

Notes: Tomorrow is the day…I'll tell everyone how the driver's test went when I hear the news. Hopefully, I'll pass, but the test is in the morning, so I'm not sure how awake I'll be. Anyway, forgot to mention this last time. It snowed! Yeah! And on Valentine's Day of all days. We got around three inches, which is a big deal for Texas.

Sadly, by Sunday after church, almost all of it had melted. I actually built a real snowman, which to me means over a foot tall(the tallest I've built before) It was like 4 feet tall!

Not to mention the 3 snowball fights I had with my friend, although two of them weren't very big. They were funny though, we were within 5 feet of each other. The last one was the funniest. We gathered these huge snowballs and started throwing snow at each other.

Not to mention that we were speaking in English accents. The fight lasted about an hour and a half. We couldn't stop speaking in the accents for about 30 minutes after we stopped, no matter how hard we tried. Anyway…

Shout-Outs:

Geometrygal – If it was easy, would it be as fun? I think not! Oh well, it's more enjoyable this way. Hope you like this chapter.

Wisecracker88 – Of course you can be in my story. I love new characters. Hope you like your character.

Jocelyn Padoga – It's not late. I'll accept any CCs sent to me. New characters are so much fun to write in. No, you won't mess anything up. Glad that you like my stories. Hope you like your character.

If Hearts Were Unbreakable

Walking down the street, I noticed several people from the night before selling newspapers on the street. Dreamer and Snow waved to them as we walked by. I offered a few small waves to some of them, but didn't look up to meet their eyes.

"Dreamer, Snow, Alaska," a voice called out. We stopped and turned around. Mush ran up to join us, Blink following behind him, 'Hi."

"Hi," Dreamer and Snow replied. I gave a small smile, at least they knew that I could see them. I felt like hiding behind something, but knew that it would only raise suspicion. I looked down at the ground, admiring the cracks in the sidewalk. Feeling stares directed at me, I took a step back in embarrassment.

"How are you doing," Mush asked. It took me a second to realize that the question was directed at me. It was quite obvious when no one else was answering. I lifted my eyes, not expecting to meet his when I did so.

"Good," I replied nervously and vaguely. I forced myself to look away from his kind gaze, one that seemed to say that I was with friends. While I knew that, it did little to distinguish my discomfort with him being only a few feet away. I grabbed tightly onto the hat I was holding, forcing myself to stop the daydreams.

"So, you like workin' at Medda's," he questioned, obviously trying to start a real conversation.

"I don't know," I answered, "I haven't exactly started yet." I glanced over at Snow and Dreamer, hoping that they'd change the conversation. Unfortunately, they didn't catch my gaze. I turned back to Mush, clasping my hands together behind my back in shyness and tapping my shoe on the sidewalk.

"So," I started, "How do you like being a newsie?" I hoped that the question didn't sound too stupid.

"Not bad," he told me, "It just gets a little old sometimes."

"Snow! Dreamer!" a new voice called out. I looked over to see a girl headed in our direction. I didn't recognize her from the night before.

"Swoosh," the two girls yelled in unison.

"You're back," Snow exclaimed, "How was your trip?" Swoosh was tall with long, thick blonde hair that reached to her waist and green eyes. She looked to be about 15 years old.

"It was okay," Swoosh replied, "I brought souvenirs for everyone!" At these words Blink, Mush, Snow and Dreamer gathered around excitedly. I stayed back, watching as they received their gifts.

I kept silent as they exchanged greetings with their friend. Swoosh suddenly looked up and noticed me, "Who's that?" Everyone looked back up, as if remembering that I was there too.

"Swoosh, this is Alaska," Dreamer said, "Today's her first day." I watched as Swoosh pulled something out of her pocket, holding it out to me.

"Here," she said, "You can have it." I picked up the small object, a ring with a little red rock on it. I almost refused, I hadn't even known her for an hour yet. I could tell that she didn't mind though.

"Thanks," I said softly, surprised at this small act of kindness. It usually took days for people to even like me. Most didn't like that I was so quiet and just chose to ignore me, instead of attempting to be my friend.

"We were heading to Tibby's," Blink spoke up, "Why don't you girls come too? The guys will be excited to see you again."

"Of course," Swoosh said, laughing, "It too quiet without me around?"

"Not really," Blink replied, "The other girls are just becoming louder." We continued down the street towards the diner. As we entered, everyone loudly greeted Swoosh. It appeared that she knew everyone pretty well.

"How ya doin," the boy who I remember being introduced as Snitch, asked her.

"Great," Swoosh said, "It's good to be back."

By 5, I had been shown all around the city. Some were places I'd passed on my daily walks around, others were ones that I had completely missed. We headed back to Medda's.

"Hey guys," another girl greeted us at the door.

"Hey Jaws," Dreamer greeted her, "How's your brother?" Jaws often went to visit her twin brother Gunz. Jaws was medium height with long chocolate brown hair and bright emerald eyes. She was 17.

"He's doin' good," she replied, and then turned to me, "Hi, I'm Jaws."

"Alaska," I told her, shaking her hand briefly.

"Medda wants to see you," Jaws told me, "I don't know why, she didn't tell me." I looked nervously at the girls before entering the building. I supposed she wanted to tell me exactly what my job was. I reached her room and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Medda's voice floated towards me and I opened it slowly. She looked up as I entered, "I need to get your measurements."

"Measurements," I asked, "I thought I was working backstage."

"We already have two people working backstage," Medda told me, "That's all we need. What we really need is another performer."

"But you haven't even heard me sing," I protested, trying to find any way out of this."

"I heard you singing last night backstage," she said. I froze. I had been singing along, but I had no idea that anyone was listening. I had thought that I was alone, or at least that everyone was too busy to notice, "I must say that I was impressed." Impressed? I've never really considered myself good before, but not bad either.

"But I'm not a performer," I said quickly, "I don't like crowds."

"You will eventually," Medda said, already starting to measure. Snow entered the room after a moment.

"Ready for rehearsal," she asked me. Did everyone know about this besides me?

"Rehearsal," I asked.

"Yeah, for our show next week," Snow replied, "We have a lot of work to do." I sighed and looked up to the ceiling, wondering why this was happening to me.


	8. You Don't Hear a Sound

Notes: Yeah, I passed my Driver's Test. I got two 95's! I get my permit. I'll get my license a little later. We went to Olive Garden to celebrate Thursday. Yes, on a school night! I didn't have to study for anything because I'm exempt from all tests. 

Today was a half-day for me. It's the end of the trimester, so I only had 3 of the 5 periods. So, I got home around 1. That also means new schedule on Monday though. Oh well, I still have theatre at least. My junior year is almost over!

Shout-Outs:

Scamley Elliot – Hey, I'm glad you like it and that it made you excited. Thanks for the review!

GeometryGal – Yeah, she gets to sing. It's hard in front of an audience though.

Wisecracker88 – Glad you like your character. And I won't forget the super glue. I'm don't like it that much myself.

You Don't Hear a Sound

"Let's go over it one more time," Snow said, "We've almost got it." I sighed and looked over to where Medda was watching us. It was obvious that I wasn't going anywhere for a while.

"Can we slow it down some," I asked, somewhat reluctantly, "I'm not that good at this." Snow nodded in agreement and we went over the moves one more time. This is much harder than it looks. On stage, everyone makes it look so easy. 

"That looks good girls," Medda told us as we started going over it and adding the words to the song. I didn't respond, I was trying to remember what was next. To my surprise, I found that it was getting easier as we continued. 

When we finished, I turned to Snow, "How do you do that every week," I asked.

"You get used to it after a while," she answered.

"Girls, come on," Swoosh appeared at the door, Jaws right behind her, "The guys invited us over for a poker game. And since you don't have to perform tonight…"

"Let's go," Snow said, pulling me along behind her. Swoosh and Jaws laughed, obviously they had heard about Blink asking her to be his girlfriend.

"The guys are waiting," Jaws said, "Come on, Dreamer's waiting outside for us." When we stepped out, I saw that the sky had grown dark within the last hour. Not familiar with how to get to the lodging house from here, I followed everyone else.

"I hate super glue," Swoosh said randomly. 

I gave her a strange look, "Why?" 

"It makes putting up backgrounds harder," she answered, turning her green eyes towards me, "And it does this." She successfully pulled two of her fingers apart after some effort, "And it's happened more than once."

I stepped into the brick building after them, turning away from Kloppman so he wouldn't have a chance at recognizing me. They lead me up a set of stairs and to a room that was full of the noise of over twenty newsies. 

"You made it," Blink said, walking over to us. Snow followed him over to a game taking place in the middle of the floor. I recognized Race playing in full concentration, wanting to win. I watched intently to see what would happen next. That's when I realized that Race was the one I had seen celebrating when I was watching through the window. I almost laughed in remembering the look of pure joy on his face by winning a simple game of poker.

I must have laughed out loud because Swoosh turned to me, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I said, stopping suddenly, "I was just thinking." She gave me a confused look, but returned her gaze to the game.

"I'm glad you could make it," a new, but familiar voice greeted me. I turned to face Mush, who was about a foot in front of me. I immediately returned to my quiet self, not knowing what to say to him, "Want to join us?" I fingered the twenty cents Medda had given me for my first day's work, figuring that I could spare a little. I knew how to play poker.

"Sure," I replied, letting him lead me to a smaller group. Jaws followed us over. I hesitated a second, "Why aren't you playing with the others?"

He grinned at me in response, "We know better than to play against Race," he answered, "Although we do every once in a while." I almost mentioned that I knew, but decided against it immediately. That would just be admitting that I'd been here before. 

We sat down and everyone reintroduced themselves. There was Snoddy, Itey, Jake, and Specs. Jaws sat down beside me. 

After a few rounds, I decided to sit out. I had won about two games and hadn't had any luck since. Besides, I wanted to keep hold of at least some of the money. There was one thing I noticed though. Jaws kept on glancing over at Snoddy during the game. She saw me watching her and gave me a look that clearly said not to tell him and smiled a little shyly at being caught. I understood exactly what she was going through.

While waiting for everyone to finish, I sat down on Mush's bunk. He had shown me where it was and said that I could watch the games up there. Plus, I didn't want to take someone else's bunk if I didn't know them. I glanced around at the various games going on. A few groans came from Race's group. I guess he was winning.

Getting a little bored, I looked over the edge of the bed to look around. I stopped when I caught a faint shine coming from one of the small dressers between the beds. Curious, I leaned farther over until I could see what it was. The shape came into view. It was my locket! I caught myself before I fell off the bunk. He was the one who found it? 

Taking a quick glance around, I noticed that no one was watching me. I reached down slowly and grabbed hold of the chain. I mean, it was mine. I could take it if I wanted. I wasn't stealing anything, it belonged to me. Besides, who would miss it? I bet it's been there since they found it. Who would even notice that it was gone?

After taking one more glance around the room, I pulled the object up and placed it inside my pocket. I sat back up and turned my attention back to the poker games going on. One hand remained in my pocket, feeling the smooth metal between my fingers, making sure that it was really there. It was nice to know that it was back. That locket meant everything to me. I reluctantly pulled my hand out when Mush turned to see what I was doing. I smiled shyly down at him and he returned the gesture before going back to his game. 

No one will notice it's gone, I told myself. They would never find out about it. I only hoped that I was right.


	9. Who's Stealin' Your Dreams?

Notes: 

Ok, can I ask everyone a question that has nothing to do with this story? I'm having guy problems and it's confusing me. Plus, it might help with this story. Is it weird for a girl to tell a guy how she feels? No, I haven't done it yet, but I want to. The point is, I'm too scared to tell him. He was in the play I saw Tuesday and the only reason that I went to it in the first place. I didn't even tell him that I went because I couldn't think of anything to say to him. Also, he's suddenly becoming distant and I don't know if he's nervous around me or he just doesn't want to hang out anymore. I have problems discussing this stuff with my parents and figured that you guys were the ones to ask.

Ok, guys don't usually confuse me this much. I'm really sorry for bugging everyone about it, but I desperately need help on this. Things have been kinda weird between me and him since our 'Christmas incident' as I like to call it, but it's not a bad thing. If you don't know the story, it's all in my one-shot collection, the one with Bumlets. Help! Again, I'm sorry for bugging everyone with this. I'd appreciate the advice though. You guys are the greatest!

Shout-Outs:

Jocelyn Padoga – You're welcome. I love adding in new characters. 

Wisecracker88 – It's okay, we all have our crazy moments. Like you, I've been a victim of super glue. It wasn't fun.

Scamley Elliot – Yeah, you mentioned that you live in Alaska. I think that's so cool! I've wanted to go there for a while.

GeometryGal – It's ok, I've never been in choir. I probably needed to hear that…well, Alaska needed to hear it.

Who's Stealin' Your Dreams?

It was getting late by the time we left. A really interesting thing happened as I stood to leave. Mush approached me and said that he couldn't wait to see me again. At this point, I was just about ready to faint. I mean, he was talking to me. There is no one else around. Dreamer, Snow, Jaws, and Swoosh had continued on without me, not noticing that I was no longer with them. 

I'm telling you, my knees are threatening to buckle under me. Dreamer and Snow told me all about the guys while we were walking this morning, along with how they got their nicknames. I remember them saying that Mush got his nickname because he turned to mush around girls. Know what? I think they were wrong, because I'm about to turn into a pile of mush right now. They got it completely backwards.

I smiled nervously at Mush, but managed to catch myself before giggling uncontrollably. Sorry, I may be a girl but I don't giggle. It annoys me when other girls do it and I'm not about to start becoming annoyed with myself.

"Alaska, come on," Snow called from the door. I turned to her slowly, only to find her grinning knowingly at me. 

"I gotta go," I said, turning back to Mush, "Guess I'll see ya later." I didn't know what else to say to him without making a bigger idiot of myself. He nodded in agreement, giving me a quick smile before rejoining his friends.

Slowly, I headed towards the door. I'm keeping my head down, because I'm almost positive that I'm blushing bright red. 

"What was that about," Swoosh asked me. Apparently, everyone had been watching from the door. 

"It was nothing," I said, knowing that I was lying. That was one of the best things to ever happen to me. Still, I know that all four of them were giving me weird smiles. Jaws looked kind of sympathetic though, she had been caught in the same position. I just didn't like talking about things like that. I've never really been close to guys before, so to get attention from one is a big deal to me. 

Mush climbed onto his bunk. He wasn't quite ready to sleep yet, he just wanted to think. He couldn't believe that he had just walked up to Alaska and told her that. Part of it was because he wanted to hear her reaction, but the other part…just maybe he was beginning to like her. Maybe not in a romantic way, but he wasn't quite sure at this point.

"So, what did she say," Blink asked from the next bunk over. Mush turned to him. Blink had heard that? 

"She guesses she'll see me later," Mush replied, shrugging, "That's all she said." He reached over the side of his bunk, searching for the locket. He didn't know why, but he liked to look at the pictures inside. He had never really known what a family was and he guessed that the pictures just intrigued him. When his fingers didn't meet the cold metal, he lifted his head to search for it, "Blink?"

"What," Blink asked.

"Where's the locket," Mush questioned.

"I thought you had it," Blink replied. Mush shook his head.

"No, I left it right here," he told Blink, "I didn't want to lose it during poker." He indicated the space on the dresser, which was now empty, "It's gone." 

"Gone," Blink exclaimed. Everyone in the bunkroom stopped as these words.

"What's gone," Ears asked, as everyone started to gather around.

"The locket," Mush replied.

"Well, you can rule out any of us," Sparks said, "We're all just as curious to find out who she is, even though we have a pretty good guess."

"Who was over here," Specs asked, "It might help." Mush mumbled an answer.

"What," Blink asked him.

"Alaska was," Mush said slowly, "She quit playing early and I told her she could watch from my bunk." 

"So, she must be the owner," Sparks commented, "Why else would she have taken it?"

"We don't know for sure that it was her," Davey said.

"Who else could it have been," Dutchy asked.

"I don't know," Davey replied, "I got to go guys. I'll see you tomorrow." He was greeted by various farewells of 'goodbye' and 'later'. 

"She had every right to take it," Mush said quietly, "I mean, if it is her locket." 

"Of course it is," Jack said, "You should have asked her about it." Mush didn't reply. The heavy sound of footsteps came up the stairs.

"Boys," Kloppman yelled, "Lights out!" The boys all got into bed and the girls left for their separate room. 

"Do you think we'll ever figure it out," Ears asked Sparks as they walked down the hallway.

"I hope so," Sparks answered, "This is getting confusing." 

The next morning consisted of more rehearsing. Medda told us that the act was definitely improving. She also told us that we were about ready for the next week's show. All we really needed to do was practice in our outfits. This was the part that I wasn't looking forward to. 

My locket was back in my pocket, right where it belonged. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty about the previous night. Mush had been so nice to me and I wouldn't tell him that the locket belonged to me or that I really liked him. I just hoped that he wouldn't discover it's disappearance or wouldn't consider it a big loss.

"Are you okay," Snow asked me suddenly.

"Yeah," I answered, "Why?"

"You missed your cue," she replied. That's when I realized that my solo part was playing, "You've been kinda distant today."

"Mornings aren't my thing," I replied, which was half-true. I could handle mornings okay, but sometimes they just didn't want to work right, which meant the beginning of a bad day.

"I understand," she agreed, "Why don't we take an early break and go to Tibby's? We can work on this some more later." While I didn't exactly want to go, the idea of a break sounded good. It's not that I didn't like Tibby's, it's just that the guys might be there and that made me a little nervous. I agreed anyway. After getting the rest of the girls, we headed out.


	10. Don't You Hang Your Head

Notes: Hey, thanks for helping me with my problem. It's only hard because I've never had a boyfriend before and have never told a guy how I've felt.

Anyway, those of you who like to write songfics, I have something to tell you. If you ever have problems finding a song you like or one that has to do with your subject, you're welcome to use my songs. I have a few on my website, the Monkees one. Just click on 'MY SONGS' and it'll take you to all the ones I've written. It's at the bottom of the page. One is actually inspired by a Newsies fanfic I read here. The song is called 'Always be in My Heart' and is inspired by a recent fic by almost exactly the same name. I will be posting a new one, as soon as I type it up. The song is called 'Angel', and it's dedicated to a certain someone that I like. Don't laugh at me, I'm may not be a girly girl, but I'm a sucker for a good love song, especially when it comes to writing them. There aren't all love songs though, thank goodness. All I ask is that you e-mail me, telling me which one you want to use and that you give me the credit for writing it. You don't even have to wait for me to reply to your e-mail. I just want to know that they're being used. Oh, and if you want, send me some fanfics to put on my Newsies site, or Monkees, if you have any. 

Shout-Outs:

Jocelyn Padoga – Hey, thanks. Yeah, I definitely need pep talks, but I don't know how they'd help. I usually don't listen to them.

Dreamer Conlon – Thanks for the advice. Now, I just got to get the courage to talk to him. I almost told him on Thursday, but chickened out. It's just that I don't want to lose a friend in the process.

GeometryGal – I appreciate the advice. It really depends on whether or not I see him. New trimester starts tomorrow.

Wisecracker88 – If you want to send me phrases, go ahead. I took Spanish for 2 years, but forgot most of it already. About your other comment, have you ever liked a guy, but didn't know how exactly you felt about him until later? This is kinda like that.

Repeat – Yeah, new reviewer! I'm glad you like it. I would love to use your character. The info should be in the notes of one of the other chapters. I forget which one it is. Send it in a review or e-mail me at justus2003@charter.net whichever you want to do. 

Don't You Hang Your Head

When we reached Tibby's, everyone else was already there. I immediately headed for an empty table nearby. Jaws joined me, but the others seemed to have somewhere else to sit. Snow was with Blink, Dreamer with Spot, and Swoosh with Snitch. It seemed that Jaws and I were the only single ones. 

"Can I get you anything," Britts approached us. We ordered quickly and waited for her to return. The other girl, Jinx, was waiting on the table where Snow was sitting. 

"So, you like Mush," Jaws asked cautiously, as if wondering if it was okay. I glanced around a second, making sure that no one was listening.

"Yeah," I admitted, smiling a little at the thought. I had never told anyone before and it felt good to discuss it with someone, "He's really nice." 

"Are ya going to tell him," she questioned.

"No," I answered, almost a little too quickly. I stopped a second, "I could never get the courage to ask him."

"Me either," Jaws said, "except with Snoddy of course." At least someone else understood what I was going through. We stopped our conversation when Britts came back with our sandwiches and drinks. She paused a second, probably wondering about the awkward silence, before going to another table. I turned back to Jaws. 

"Don't you ever want to tell him though," I asked. She nodded slowly, "Why is it so hard?"

"I don't know," she replied, "It's a curse I guess." I laughed at this, thinking of how true it really was. But again, it kinda wasn't. It was kinda exciting to think of a guy admitting that he liked you. 

"Yeah," I agreed after a moment, "It does seem that way sometimes." I looked over to where Mush sat, laughing with his friends. I didn't really notice that I was staring until a pair of fingers snapped in front of my eyes. I snapped out of it and turned to Jaws.

"Sorry," she said, "You blanked out for a minute. I had to do something." 

"It's okay," I said, laughing slightly despite my embarrassment, "I would've done the same if it happened to you."

"Are you going to talk to her," Blink asked, turning to Mush. His friend looked up in surprise. Obviously something was on his mind.

"I don't know," Mush admitted, "If it's her locket…"

"She had every right to take it, I know," Blink finished for him.

"I don't think she'd get upset if you told her," Snow said, "You have every right to know." She had recently been clued in to what had happened and was trying to help in every way that she could. 

"It's just that…" Mush paused, as if wondering if he should finish the thought, "I think I might have feelings for her."

"You think," Sparks asked from beside him, "Mush, either you like her or you don't. There's no thinking in the process."

"It's not that easy," Mush told her, "She's different."

"And it scares you," Snow questioned. Mush thought for a second before nodding, "Mush, that's normal. Get to know her first."

"Don't you want to talk to her anyway," Britts asked, just joining the group. 

"Stop," Mush called out, causing the entire diner to grow silent. Every head turned in his direction. He looked frustrated for a second before noticing the group of people staring at him, "I'll…um, I'll have the ham sandwich." He looked like he wanted to hide under the table for a second, but everyone soon returned to what they were doing.

"Nice one Mush," Jinx said as she passed by, trying not to laugh. Britts quickly took the rest of the orders and went to get them. 

"I'll go talk to her," Mush said, standing up.

"Can I have your sandwich," Blink called out to him.

"Save it for me," Mush yelled back, acting a little more like his usual self, "You got your own."

"Alaska," a voice beside me asked. I slowly turned to find Mush standing there. I stared at him for as second before glancing back over at Jaws, as if for an explanation.

"Hey Mush," I returned quietly. 

"Can we talk," he asked. He looked around for a moment, "Alone?" Ok, now I'm really confused. He wants to talk to me? Alone? What did I do? Private conversations are never good. I stood up slowly, silently apologizing to Jaws when I glanced over at her once again. She nodded that she understood.

"All right," I told him, not knowing what else I could say.

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested. I didn't argue. Whatever he wanted to say to me, I didn't want anyone else to hear. He led me out of 'Tibby's' and out onto the street. Before the door closed though, I caught part of a conversation inside. 

"Race, what did I tell you about cigars," Ears said

"Stay away," another voice said, who I guessed was Race. Mush glanced over at me and grinned at the antics of his friends. I looked in the window to see Race trying to get away from a laughing Ears. 

"Interesting friends," I remarked as we continued down the street.


	11. Don't You Give Up Yet

Notes: Today I told him! I just outright said it straight to his face. I can't believe I did it. Oh, I bet you're waiting for his reaction right? Well, he didn't say 'yes' and he didn't say 'no'. Instead, he asked me to the Snowball Dance this weekend. I guess that counts as a 'yes' right? I think I confused him at first, because it took him a couple of seconds to ask. Maybe he was just shocked…I don't know. Anyway, he did offer to pay for both tickets. I've been kinda hyper ever since. I kinda scared some of my friends. So, if there's not an update on Saturday, you'll know why. I'll be spending most of the day getting ready, you know hair and all that stuff? I'm not too thrilled with getting dressed up, but this is my very first High School dance and my first time to have a guy ask me.

Oh yeah, yesterday, I accidentally punched a kid! We were in karate. I was sparring against him. My karate teacher told me to hit him in the head. Instead, I ended up hitting him in the eye! I can't count the number of times I apologized. We were both wearing karate gear too, which luckily is supposed to minimize the impact. But he did have to stop for a second, it was kinda evident that it hurt! I have a few more karate stories, but won't get into details on those. 

In theatre, we're telling stories from our life until age 5. Let me tell ya, my life is so boring compared to theirs. After hearing their stories, I dread going tomorrow to have them sleep through my first five years.

Shout-Outs:

Jocelyn Padoga – A mutual understanding of boys? Is that possible?

Scamley Elliot – Hey, you never know. I get inspired by all sorts of things. My song 'Don't Wanna Be Shy' was inspired by a comment by Moonlights Sundance when she said she wished to not be shy for a day for a question in 'Across the Line of Time'.

GeometryGal – Yes, I saw you! You were kinda hard to miss. ; ) Sorry the update took forever.

Scout73 – Hey, I got your e-mail. I made a quick decision and made your character a worker at Tibby's. She works in the kitchen. I hope you don't mind. She plays a pretty important part, as you will soon see. 

Don't You Give Up Yet

We walked along in silence for a while. It made me a little uncomfortable, because it only reminded me why we were here in the first place. I waited for him to say something. I wasn't going to bring it up unless I had to. 

He looked over at me, like he didn't know what to say first. We stopped inside an alley for a minute. Seeing that no one else was around, he leaned against the wall and turned to me, "So…" he said, "We need to talk."

"I already knew that," I told him sarcastically before realizing what I was saying. I immediately felt guilty, because he looked hurt for a moment. I guess I should have explained to him that I wasn't a very patient person and small talk made me nervous, "Sorry."

"It's okay," he said, "I guess I should just say it." At these words, I froze. He should just say what? Now seriously, what did I do wrong this time? I dared not look him in the eyes, because I knew that I wouldn't be able to look away. The air was filled with discomfort and nervousness. 

"Say what," I prompted slowly, not really wanting to say it but knowing that someone had to. I studied the intriguing laces on my shoes and followed their journey through the various holes on the sides. I hoped that the heavy silence would be broken soon, it only made me feel more uneasy.

"That I…" he trailed off, staring at me in confusion, "I think you look familiar." Okay, that wasn't what I expected. I gave him a strange look.

"You have known me for a few days," I pointed out, "Could that have something to do with it?"

"No, it's like I recognize you from before that," he answered, still looking at me closely. I took a small step back, making my discomfort obvious. 

Wait, I thought, is he talking about our collision? The weeks ago that I had run into him and had been knocked to the ground? Does he recognize me from that? But he barely glanced in my direction. 

"Alaska," a voice called. I went to the opening of the alley. Looking out, I saw Snow walking in my direction.

"What," I called out, annoyed at the disturbance. I wasn't mad at her, she just had bad timing, incredibly bad timing. I really wanted to know what Mush had to say. 

"It's almost two," she called back. I suddenly remembered that we had promised Medda we'd be back by two to practice some more for our show. While I knew that it was important, I mentally kicked myself for agreeing to those terms.

I turned back to Mush, "I gotta go," I said quickly, "I'm really sorry about this."

"Where are ya going," he asked. 

"Medda's," I answered, "I have something to do."

"See ya tomorrow," he questioned as I started to leave the alley. Great, now I felt terrible for leaving. I nodded quickly before racing down the street. 

"So, what did she say," Blink asked as Mush rejoined the group. 

"About the locket," Mush questioned and his friend nodded, "I didn't mention it."

"Why not," Sparks turned to him, "Don't you want to know if it belongs to her?" Mush shrugged in reply.

"Does it really matter," he asked her, "I mean, it would be nice to know, but I'm not going to force her to tell me."

"Are you ever going to ask," Dutchy asked, joining the conversation.

"I don't know," Mush answered, then paused, "It was weird, she looked so familiar." Everyone glanced at him in confusion, "Not from a few days ago. It's more like before that."

"How are you guys doing," a new voice said. The small group turned to find the source of the voice. Nellie Harris, or Scout, was standing there. She had medium blonde hair, blue-green eyes and freckles. She was 15. Scout rarely had time to hang out since getting a job in Tibby's back in the kitchen so she took any chance she could to catch up with her friends. Everyone briefed her on the recent events. Scout listened in patient silence until they were done.

"We still don't know if it belongs to her," Sparks finished.

"I've missed a lot," Scout remarked, "What does she look like?" Blink quickly gave her Alaska's description. 

"She sound familiar," he asked.

"Wait, is she the girl who ran into the kitchen the other day," Scout asked, looking at everyone.

"What are you talking about," Mush asked.

"Some girl came running into the kitchen a few nights ago. She had been running from something, because she almost slammed the door behind her." Scout stopped upon seeing the shocks expressions on everyone's faces, "What?"

"We did lose her near Tibby's," Swifty pointed out.

"True," Itey commented from his booth, "It was just down the street from here that we lost track of her."

"Guys," Jack said, standing up, "I think we might be getting closer to the answer." 


	12. When You're

Notes: Is it possible to like a guy too much? Cause he's being way too nice to me. Seriously, he's giving me compliments on things he's never seen or heard me do before, like singing. My friends were starting to drive me crazy during school. They wanted to know all the details of my outfit, like it's the biggest news they've ever heard. In a way, I think it is. After all, I'm the girl who always said that she'd never have a boyfriend or get asked out by a boy. Oh yeah, the dress I describe for my character is the same as the one I picked for Snowball. 

By the way, Snowball was great. I barely even noticed the three hours go by. A lot of good things happened during the dance. It was a lot of fun. I was so nervous for a few hours before he arrived that I couldn't think of what to write for this chapter. Or else I would have updated yesterday instead. My mind just went blank on what to write. I did try to work on it though.

No shout-outs this time. There are a lot of reviews that I never receive to my e-mail. So, if you e-mailed me any time in the past few days, I probably didn't receive it. I'm not even getting chapter alerts. I'm having to use my dad or bro's computers in order to even get on the Internet or save files to html format. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. If you did e-mail me, please review with the information or you can try to e-mail it to me again. Thanks. 

When You're Falling Behind

"So, what did he say," Snow asked as we got ready for rehearsal, getting into our dresses. Believe me, after what just happened, wearing a dress is not going to put me in a better mood. I glanced over at her.

"Not much," I answered, trying not to sound too angry, "He was about to tell me something when you showed up."

"Sorry," Snow told me, sounding like she really meant it. 

"It's okay," I sighed, "I just have the feeling that he was going to tell me something important. You didn't know. Besides, I forgot all about our promise to Medda." We exited the dressing room in our outfits. Medda was waiting for us outside the door. She wanted to see what the dresses looked like. 

Snow's dress was a dark midnight blue that ended a little above the knee and had thin straps. Mine was a lighter blue with silver flowers arranged in a pattern and also had thin straps. The front of the dress was about knee level, gradually sloping to the back, which ended around the ankles. 

"You two look gorgeous," Medda exclaimed. I rolled my eyes when she wasn't looking. I knew very well that I didn't look as good as Medda said. Still, I followed her to the stage area for rehearsal. I hoped this wouldn't last too long.

After running through the number a few times, Medda allowed us to take a short break. The rest of the girls arrived back during this time. Dreamer was the first to speak.

"The guys are coming to the show tonight," she said casually, "We invited them backstage after the show is over. Medda told us last night that it was okay." 

"At least our show's not until next week," I said to myself.

"Didn't Medda tell you," Jaws spoke up, "The show has been moved to Friday. That's two days from today. Every month, she puts on a show for everyone on the last Friday." 

"No," I answered quickly, "I had no idea. Doesn't anyone tell me what goes on around here?"

"I just did," Jaws said quietly.

"I'm not talking about that," I told her, "I'm talking about the moment they happen." 

"I forgot," Snow said, "I'm used to the shows being changed. It wasn't a big deal to me." I nodded that I understood and wasn't mad at her. 

"Come on," I said suddenly, "Let's rehearse some more. We want this to be perfect for Friday." After telling the girls that we'd meet them later, we started rehearsing once again. 

"Ok," Jack announced, "We now know that Alaska is probably the girl from a few nights ago." He glanced around at the bunkroom of guys, "The question is, how do we get her to confess it?" Every eye traveled over to Mush.

"Don't look at me," he said, "There's no way I'm going to ask her."

"But Mush, you're the only way we can find out," Ears commented.

"You have to do it," Sparks finished. 

"No," Mush replied, "Why does it matter anyway who owns it? If we know that the locket is hers, isn't that enough?"

"Of course not," Blink told him, "Come on Mush, everyone wants to know. Talk to her." 

Mush glanced around at everyone, noticing the glances sent his way in hopes that he would agree. Knowing that he'd never win an argument against everyone, he reluctantly nodded.

"Great," Jack exclaimed, "Thanks Mush. Why don't you go talk to her right now?"

"Who wants to play poker," Race called out and a group gathered around to play. Seeing that Jack was still watching, Mush slowly walked towards the bunkroom door. 

He exited quietly, silently closing the door behind him. 

He went down the stairs, taking his time. Mush was definitely not looking forward to this meeting. Kloppman looked up as he passed by. Mush's eyes were fixed on the ground in hopes that something would happen to prevent his going. The older man, however, didn't say a word as the teenager went on his way, even though Mush was practically begging in his mind for Kloppman to say something.

He stepped outside the door and into the street, heading in the direction of Medda's and hoping that she wouldn't be there. 

I practically rushed to the dressing room once rehearsal was over. I would be more than happy to change out of the dress I was wearing. Tomorrow and Friday morning would be dedicated to perfecting the act in time for Friday night. That meant, I wouldn't be leaving Medda's for a while, except maybe for meals and short breaks. I highly doubted that Medda would let us leave the building though.

When a knocking came from the door, I paused to go answer it, expecting Snow or maybe Medda. Seeing Mush behind it, I shut it quickly. Medda had told us not to let anybody know about the act. She wanted it to be a surprise.

"Just a minute," I called out, rushing to get dressed back into normal clothes. Locating my normal clothes, I changed quickly. Hanging the dress back up and trying to act like nothing was wrong, I went to open the door for Mush again, "Can I help you?"

"Hi," he greeted me. Still, I could tell he didn't really want to be here, "What are you doing?"

"Uh…organizing the dresses," I answered quickly. I glanced back at the many colorful dresses, hoping that he wouldn't which ones had lace and which were frillier than others. 

"That's nice," he said, acting like he really didn't care. I knew now that he was here for a different reason than seeing what I was doing. I mean, who cares if the dresses are organized correctly? Medda wouldn't be able to find half the dresses if they were organized. It was a mess and she knew exactly where to find everything.

"Do you need something," I asked him, reluctantly breaking the silence. I didn't want to bring up the subject, but knew that somebody had to. He looked up as if he had been thinking about something.

"Uh, yeah," he replied, "Do you wanna…go out sometime? I mean, as friends or something?" I gave him a surprised glance. I was glad he had finally told me, but couldn't help feeling that there was something else to his visit. 

"Sure," I answered after a moment. He smiled at me, looking like he didn't know what to say.

"How about Friday," he asked, "during the party here?" I looked away, knowing that it probably wouldn't work. I had to perform that night He didn't know about the show though, it wasn't his fault I couldn't tell anyone.

"I'll see you here," I said. At least I wasn't lying to him. I would see him, just on stage rather than in the audience, "I might be a little late though." He nodded in agreement and turned around to leave. I watched him go. He lingered out in the hallway for a second as if wondering if he should say something else. I waited for him to say something, but could only observe as he continued on his way back to the lodging house without saying another word. 


	13. Just Close Your Eyea

Notes: I got my e-mail address changed. It'll be specifically for FF.net e-mails and things like that. My other one is getting kinda crowded. The new address is trybottlealley@go.com 

Quick note to Written Sparks – I did get your e-mail, so you don't have to resend it to me. My computer is kinda messed up right now, but I did receive it. I printed it out so I wouldn't lose the information.

I have another karate story since I'm running out of things to write about. This was months ago, before the school year even started. It's kinda funny. 

Anyway, there was this guy that I liked in karate class. He reminded me of Elijah Wood, except taller and younger and not as cute. The lower belts were separated from the rest of class. We were supposed to get into partners and I ended up being paired off with him. One time, we were told to do front choke holds. When he did it to me once, I pulled his arm down with my left like we were told. Then, you're supposed to use the other hand to push their head back. I did this and instead of doing it gently, nailed him right in the nose! Luckily, it didn't do any damage. I was so embarrassed, because I thought this guy was cute and just hit him during practice. See, he's way taller than me and I couldn't exactly do the move right. He was the closest to my height in the class though. Most everyone else was shorter. I'm the oldest girl in my class right now. 

Ok, question for everyone: Do you think I could make it as a writer? It's one of my dreams and I want your honest opinion on whether I could make a good career of it. I know my stories aren't exactly masterpieces, but I really want to know. I'm thinking of looking for an agent. I have written a few books of my own already, a mystery series. Please e-mail comments to my new e-mail address. I'd really appreciate it. 

Shout-Outs:

Jocelyn Padoga – You think I'm sweet? If only I had a penny for every time I've heard that! I get it so many times that I'd be rich. Don't worry though, he's being nice to me. A little too nice, but it's all good. Besides, not everyone knows this, but I believe in 'True Love Waits'

NadaZimri – Hey, glad ya like it. Here's your update!

Wisecracker88 - I'm glad that someone else shares in my confusion. Oh well, thanks for reviewing!

Robin – I always have room for more characters. Send one in with the basic info and I'd be proud to put her in my story. Don't forget to mention what job you want. Thanks. 

Just Close Your Eyes

I closed the door after Mush disappeared from sight and sighed in relief. He hadn't suspected that I was lying. I knew that I would see him later with the rest of the guys, but he had come to see me personally with no one else around. I immediately knew that something was going on.

I slid a hand into my pocket, fingering the silver metal. I had suddenly felt guilty about taking it when Mush arrived. I knew that it was mine and everything, but what if it had meant something to him? It was like giving someone something that you realize you really want when it's already gone. This time though, I had taken it. It didn't matter if it was mine or not. It was right by his bunk and I had simply picked it up and taken it like it was nothing. 

When another knock sounded on the door, I looked up. Snow entered slowly, shutting the door gently behind her, "Do you think you'll be ready for the performance Friday?"

"Yeah," I answered, glad to get my mind off of Mush for a while, "It's not too hard."

"Good," she replied, "Medda wants to make sure that it's perfect for everyone. It's not everyday that we have new people perform." I smiled a little, glad that I could ease a little of her discomfort about Friday. Still, I wasn't entirely comfortable being on stage in front of a bunch of people, especially when one was my crush. It was my dream however, so I hoped that it would go well. 

Snow left shortly after that and Jaws walked in moments later. I suddenly remembered that we had never finished our conversation from earlier. Since I had nothing to do, I pulled out two chairs from in front of the mirrors. She sat down and we continued.

"So, what happened after I left," I asked. I knew that I could trust her with my secrets. She didn't seem like the type who would tell. Jaws hesitated after I finished asking.

"The guys were talking about a locket," she finally said reluctantly, looking up at me, "I don't know why, but they mentioned you too." I slowly met her gaze and had no doubt that she was telling the truth. I took a deep breath before doing what I did next. 

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the heart shape on the thin chain, "It's true," I said, showing it to her, "I lost it days ago when the guys spotted me outside the window." I opened it and pointed out the pictures, "It's the only thing I have left of my family." I paused, "You won't tell, will you?" 

"Of course not," Jaws reassured me. There was an awkward silence, "What happened to them?" I glanced down at the locket before clasping it shut and sticking it back in my pocket. I began to tell her what had happened to make my life turn upside-down. It was nice to know that someone was listening for once.

Mush leaned against the outside of the theater, wondering what to do next. The guys expected him to be back and tell about the locket. He couldn't just go back and tell them that he didn't have the courage to ask her. It was his own fault, he supposed, for being too nice and not wanting to hurt other people's feelings. He hated that if he asked, that's exactly what he would be doing. He didn't want to pry into Alaska's past and about her family. 

He guessed that he had a few hours before the show was to begin that night. He didn't want to stay out in the cold until then. But what could he tell the guys? Thinking, he slowly walked down the street in the direction of Tibby's. Someone was always there to talk to if he needed and he wouldn't have to explain to the guys that he never even brought up the subject to Alaska. 

"What are you doing back so soon," a voice asked as he stepped in. Scout was watching him from the kitchen, "Lunch ended a while ago." 

"It's pretty empty here," Britts joined in, "What's going on?" He looked at the two girls, figuring that they could keep a secret. Both were silent as he told his story, offering words of advice after he was finished.

"I'm with you on this Mush," Scout commented, "They shouldn't pressure you so much." 

"It's just a locket," Britts agreed, "and from what I heard, it's definitely Alaska's. Shouldn't that be enough for them?" 

"You would think that it was," Scout said, "but these are the guys. They want to know everything."

"It's like everything's a headline with them," Mush continued, "and they're searching for the perfect story." 

"Having girl troubles Mush," Jinx's voice entered the conversation. She sat down at the table, smiling widely at her friend. 

He smiled at her joke. That was exactly what he expected from her, "Kinda," he replied, "I guess it's something I have to figure out for myself though."

"Gotta hate those problems," Jinx told him, "Too much thinking involved."

"Any amount of thinking is hard for you Jinx," he responded and then dodged the joking punch aimed for him. Jinx grinned at him and pretended to be angry for missing her easy target, "I'd better go. Everyone's meeting at Medda's for the show tonight." He stood up and exited to head back. 

I watched…or rather heard the show from backstage. Since I didn't have to perform, I helped backstage as much as I could. Dreamer, Jaws, Swoosh and I were gathered at the corner of the curtain, listening to every word. Silently, I turned to Swoosh.

"The background looks great," I whispered over to her. I had caught a look at it earlier in the afternoon and hadn't had a chance to tell her until now. She smiled in return and I went silent once again. It was supposed to be absolutely quiet back here, but sometimes the silence was annoying. I mouthed the words along with Snow onstage. We had to practice that song when we started working together, just to get the feeling of performing on stage. Dreamer and Swoosh were doing the same. They had heard the songs enough times to have them memorized by heart. Jaws was listening intently to the music.

When the show ended, they hurried backstage. I stayed behind for a little while, not sure if I wanted to see Mush again yet. Figuring that one of the girls would come looking for me if I didn't arrive, I decided to save them the trouble. Slowly, I headed to the backstage area. People were everywhere, so many that I couldn't tell one from another. They seemed to blend together in their huge crowd.

I stopped walking when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. Thinking that it was Mush, I turned slowly to face him. Instead though, I was face to face with Race. I almost sighed out loud, but managed not to. At least it wasn't Jack. I would feel too nervous talking to the obvious leader of the group. Questions were one thing I couldn't handle right now.

"Hey Race," I greeted him, relaxing a little. I gave him a small smile and waited for him to speak.

"I was wondering…if you…wanted to play poker," he finally blurted out. I stared at him in confusion for a second. I was expecting something different from him. 

"Sure," I answered slowly and cautiously, as if scared that it was some sort of trick. I followed him over to a table where a bunch of guys were gathered. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Race give a glance to Jack, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. Then he gave the same look to Mush. I wondered what was going on, but decided not to ask about it. Looking down at the cards in my hand, I hoped that my luck would hold out. 


	14. Wake Up to Another Day

Notes: Stupid computer! I finished this chapter two days ago and was ready to post. But since I couldn't get on the Internet, I restart my computer...and I can't get back on at all. We're going to switch my bro's computer with mine to make it work. Maybe now it'll be easier to update. Did any of you have a problem with your dad when you started dating? Cause mine is freaking out because my 'boyfriend', I guess you could call him, and I were holding hands in my front of my dad. It's like the words 'daughter' and 'date' can't exist in the same sentence with him. The main thing is, both my parents think he's a nice guy. I asked my mom if him and me holding hands in front of the family bothered her. It doesn't bother her at all, she actually thinks it's sweet. Besides that, my dad did let him take me out Saturday. I seriously think my dad never thought I'd have a boyfriend until I was 23. Any advice?  
  
Shout-Outs: Jocelyn Padoga – You know, I'm getting that sweet thing a lot more now. It's mostly from my friend though, you know, the one who took me to the dance? Oh yeah, and a lot of people are telling us that we're 'cute' together. I guess you could call him my boyfriend, but I'm not sure. He hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend, but we are holding hands and stuff like that. That's really the extent of our relationship, except for when he wants to hang out over the weekend. Hope that you like this chapter.  
  
Repeat – You thought I hated you? Believe me, I don't hate anyone. I may dislike them, but not hate. And you have to be either really boastful or annoying for me to not like you. I won't get started on that though. Just wanted you to know that Race isn't taken yet. I don't know why you thought he was. Thanks for sending in your CC. Hope you like your character.  
  
GeometryGal – I'm glad that you think I'm a good writer. I actually have thought about taking Creative Writing, but I guess Journalism is good enough for now. I've been writing for so long, that I could never give it up either way. It's a true passion of mine. I would consider any writing job I can find. I just don't know what kind I like the best. There are so many options to choose from that it's really hard to just decide between them.  
  
FrenchyGoil – It's okay that you didn't review. I do it sometimes too. Yes, everything is still fine between me and the guy I like. As you've read above though, my dad's not taking it as well. We went to the zoo Saturday and stayed until closing. We must have seen everything there.  
  
Scamley Elliot – Guess you'll just have to keep on reading to see what happens between Mush and Alaska.  
  
NadaZimri – Yeah, I feel sorry for Mush too and I wrote it! I know what it's like to be annoyed by people to do something you don't want to do. Believe me, it happens a lot!  
  
Wake Up to Another Day  
  
"I couldn't do it," Race remarked later that evening, once everyone had returned to the bunkroom, "It's not that easy."  
"I told you," Mush said, "It's hard to go up to someone and..."  
"Okay Mush," Jack cut him off sharply, "It's all right." When Mush had told everyone that he hadn't mentioned the locket to Alaska, Jack had asked Race to do it. Race had been confident, until it was the time to take action.  
"You did your best," Sparks remarked from beside Race.  
"Why couldn't someone have told me that," Mush asked.  
"Don't worry about it Mush," Ears said from his other side, "It's over now." Mush immediately went silent. He had seen what had happened to Race and didn't want to face the same fate.  
"I know," he finally said, "It's not gonna help that you guys still wanna know what's going on." The rest of the newsies looked at each quietly, knowing that this was the truth.  
"Why's it so quiet up here," a new voice asked suddenly, "I didn't think it would be this dull without me around." Everyone turned to locate the source of the voice, "Miss me?"  
Piper Macoy, known as Flare, was standing in the doorway. Flare had straight brown hair to her shoulders, green eyes and stood at an even 5 feet. If you looked closely enough, you would notice a faint scar on her forehead. If you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't even see it. She was 14.  
"Flare," Race shouted out, "Where have you been?"  
"Around," she answered vaguely, walking into the room, "So, what did I miss?" The others glanced at each other. This just might take a while. After a few seconds of silence, Race began to explain everything.  
  
"Wake up," a voice said the next morning. Expecting it to be one of the girls, I decided to ignore it for a while. The next thing I know, the covers are being ripped off my bed. Opening my eyes, I saw a grinning Medda standing in front of my with my covers in her hands, "We need to start rehearsing right away. The show is tomorrow."  
I groaned, but sat up. Medda had told me last night that we would start early and would be wearing our costumes. I just didn't know it would be this early. When I got to the dressing room, Snow was already there and ready. I mock-glared at her. She already looked cheerful and here I was, only half-awake and not in the best mood.  
I changed quickly, knowing that the faster rehearsal started, the faster I'd get out of this outfit. That didn't change the fact that I was very uncomfortable in a dress. I sighed as the music started once again. Then I had to concentrate on singing and dancing.  
  
As usual, everyone met at Tibby's for lunch. Everyone that is, except Snow and Alaska. Medda had asked the other girls to bring something back for the two performers. Besides that, they had to make an excuse to cover for the girls' absence. So when Dreamer, Swoosh, and Jaws entered the diner, they had to have a story ready.  
The girls were immediately greeted and invited over to a table. Several of the newsies looked around. Blink was the first to speak, after noticing that his girlfriend wasn't with them.  
"Where's Snow," he asked, glancing over at the three. The girls looked at each other, until Dreamer nudged Swoosh, obviously the sign to say something.  
"Medda wanted her and Alaska to run some errands," Swoosh replied quickly.  
"We're not sure they're going to make it to lunch today," Dreamer continued, "Medda asked us to bring something back." Jaws nodded quickly in agreement after exchanging glances with the two.  
"Okay," Blink said slowly, "Just tell her I'll see her tomorrow then...at the party."  
"We will," Jaws promised, "Don't worry about that."  
The rest of lunch passed slowly. The large group all stood up to leave around the same time. Jaws was about to exit the diner, when someone stopped her.  
"Can I ask you something," Snoddy asked, walking up to her. She nodded nervously and followed him so nobody would bother them. Jaws waited for him to say something and was rewarded seconds later, "You're going to be at the party tomorrow right?"  
"Yeah," Jaws answered quietly, "I'll be there."  
"Have a date yet," he questioned. Jaws shook her head, "Would you consider going with me then?" She looked up at him in shock before answering.  
"Sure," she replied quickly. Snoddy looked at her in relief. Obviously, it had taken him a lot of courage to ask her and she was glad that he did.  
"So...I'll see you there," he asked, then paused, laughing nervously, "Of course, you work there. So...see you tomorrow?" Jaws nodded, before saying goodbye and heading off to work.  
  
Dreamer, Swoosh and Jaws came back in the middle of our first break. Seeing that Jaws looked a lot happier than usual, I immediately went to talk to her, "What happened?" It took me a while to understand what she was saying, but I got the message.  
"He did," I asked after she was done. She nodded, the only thing I was able to understand at the moment, "That's great!" It seemed that both of our dreams were coming true. 


	15. I Get Nervous When You're Around

Notes: I saw 'Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen' on Thursday and guess what? I couldn't stand it! I apologize to anyone who liked that movie. I just have this thing against teenage actresses except for a very special few. By the way, I'm sorry if this has a weird format. I can't save files as html. I probably would have updated sooner, but a lot of stuff happened today. I went to see 'The Return of the King'(Frodo!) for the second time. The ending is so sad! Sorry if I'm going to spoil this for anyone, but I assume most fans have already seen it. When Frodo leaves, in my head I'm like 'Wait, don't go! Don't leave! I love you! We can get married!' It's okay though, cause I already have a boyfriend. It always makes me cry though, which I almost never do during movies. No offense, but I didn't cry once during 'A Walk to Remember' and it's supposed to be sad.  
Then, a few minutes after I get home, my friend calls. So, I gotta leave to get to her birthday party. And now, here I am in front of the computer, typing this up for your enjoyment. I figure I shouldn't leave without leaving you with one more chapter. I'm leaving on Tuesday afternoon to go to San Antonio...with my parents. Yeah! Note my sarcasm. I won't be back from that until Thursday. And then on Friday, it's the Clay Aiken concert. As you see, I'll be pretty busy. I'll try to update once more before then.  
  
Shout-Outs:  
  
GeometryGal – Yeah, I know the format was weird. For some reason, my bro's computer won't let me save things as html files, so I'm having to do plain Word documents. Journalism is pretty cool. It's weird though, because there is stuff about Pulitzer and Hearst in the book. It's like, 'I don't care about them! What about the newsies?' I'm almost tempted to ask if we can watch 'Newsies' in class, or at least discuss the strike.  
  
NadaZimri – Hope the performance meets your expectations! It's in the next chapter though. I really have no idea of how to actually do it. My only experience on stage is with tons of people in musical and then, it's really easy. Ah, what song should I do? Any help would be nice. I'm not great on details on stage.  
  
FrenchyGoil – Actually 'father' and 'boyfriend' get along fine. I knew that from the instant that 'he', being the boyfriend pulled out a Bob Hope video instead of going straight for the action movies like I would have done. It's just the idea of me having a boyfriend that makes my dad nervous.  
  
Jocelyn Padoga – I'm your favorite author? You're too nice. I'm glad I could make someone feel special. I was too glad to do it. Actually, my boyfriend has already asked me out. It's crazy, he's already trying to make plans for my birthday in a few weeks. S What exactly do you mean by a title? Sorry, I don't know what it all means, I'm new to this whole thing.  
  
Wisecracker88 – Actually, I don't like cherries. So, make it chocolate on top and you've got yourself a deal! Now, I just gotta know what this dream is. Tell me and I'll put it in the next chapter. Sorry, I'm kinda clueless to dreams unless I'm told.  
  
I Get Nervous When You're Around  
  
All the newsies met at Tibby's after selling on Friday. They were all waiting for the girls to get off their shift so they could head over to Medda's. There was talk around about a special show and everyone was excited. Nothing more was known besides that it was new and was going to be performed only for them. So, all the guys...and some girls wanted to get there a little early.  
  
"Dutchy," the 12-year-old by his side asked. Dutchy smiled before bending way down to her level, "Can I come too?" He thought a minute before answering.  
  
"Sure, why not," he replied, "You know Medda loves it when you come to visit Robin." He would usually leave her with a friend, but decided to make an exception. Medda always kept close watch at her parties and kept things under control.  
  
Robin grinned at his answer. While she was really Dutchy's younger sister, everyone looked to her like their own. She had blue-green eyes and dirty blonde hair, looking only slightly different from her older brother. Robin rarely got to go out anywhere, making this a special time for her.  
  
"Are you ready yet," Ears called out suddenly. Jinx quickly appeared from the kitchen, looking a little annoyed.  
  
"Hold on," Jinx yelled back, "We do have work to do you know?"  
  
"Just asking," Ears responded, grinning when Jinx rolled her eyes in annoyance before disappearing again.  
  
"So," Sparks asked, turning to Blink, "You gonna meet Snow there?" The only people absent from the present group where the five girls working at Medda's. It was assumed that they would arrive after their jobs for the show were done.  
  
"Yeah," Blink answered, "I don't know when though. I haven't seen her all day."  
  
"Ok, now we're ready," Jinx said at that moment, "We can go now." Scout and Britts followed behind her.  
  
"Are you happy now," Scout asked, making it clear that she was joking. "We weren't gone that long," Britts commented, "Besides, it's only 6. The show doesn't start for another hour."  
  
"We wanna get there early," Jack explained, "There's some kinda special show tonight." He led the others outside and in the direction of Medda's. Swifty held back a minute. He smiled over at Britts.  
  
"Hey," he said casually. She smiled at him, silently wondering what he was doing, "I know this is short notice, but would you like to go to the party with me?"  
  
"I'd like that," Britts replied. Swifty dramatically stuck out his arm. Britts laughed, linking her arm through his and they continued on after the others. Jinx walked in front of them with Specs. Jinx looked back at them and winked. Britts groaned upon seeing this, "I'll never hear the end of this."  
  
"Do I look okay," I asked, rushing up to Snow. While I never really cared for fashion or looking my best, today I just couldn't help it. I would be performing in front of all those people. My hair had been put into an up position. I had been surprised that my almost shoulder length hair could do that. I also had on a bit of makeup so everyone could see my face onstage.  
  
"You look great," Snow reassured me after looking at my outfit, "Don't worry about it." Easy for you to say, I thought, you've done this before.  
  
"Step, kick, step, turn," I said slowly. Snow gave me an odd look.  
  
"What are you doing," she asked.  
  
"Practicing," I replied, spinning quickly and ending up falling over, "Without the falling over part." Snow laughed and gave me a hand up.  
  
"You'll do fine," she told me, "I was nervous my first time on stage too. Once you get up there, you're not so nervous anymore."  
  
"Sure," I replied sarcastically, but quietly enough that she couldn't hear me.  
  
"Girls," Dreamer appeared at the door, "You're on in ten minutes."  
  
"Ready," Snow asked, turning to me before walking out of the room.  
  
"I hope so," I replied, before walking out of the dressing room after her and to the stage area, "I really hope so." 


	16. The Way You Look Tonight

Notes: I don't own the song 'Stuck', sung by Stacie Orrico. It belongs to whoever wrote it. It's so sad though, the story's almost over. I'll try to add a few more chapters though so it won't end too fast. Besides, I couldn't leave everybody hanging with an ending like the last one before I left tomorrow. I still have to work on my photography project this week, so I wouldn't have much time to update if I wanted to tomorrow.  
Oh, some of the dance scenes with my character actually happened at Snowball, so don't think everything is just made up to make the story better or that I'm being over-dramatic or anything. The last scene really happened.  
  
Shout-Outs:  
  
NadaZimri – Hey, thanks for all of your help. I really appreciated it. I loved the other song you suggested when I read the lyrics, but since I didn't know the tune, I couldn't use it. Thanks anyway though.  
  
Repeat – Sorry, I just love cliffhangers. I try to put one at the end of each chapter if possible. Hope you forgive me because I did decide to post this before I leave...on a trip I don't even want to go on. Even though I might find some pictures for my project. Yeah, I like Robin too. She's cool.  
  
GeometryGal – I would start my own strike, except that I don't think anyone else knows about 'Newsies'. Oh, I was so excited when my friend told me that her choir class was watching it. Now, she's not so confused when I go on and on about Mush. She actually knows who he is.  
  
Jocelyn Padoga – Yes, I'm the Queen of Cliffhangers! If you thought this was bad, you should really read some of my mystery stories. Almost every chapter ends in a cliffhanger. I love the things, it keeps the readers interested and wanting more. I think he's planning on taking me to see the new Scooby-Doo movie for my b-day. I love Scooby, so it works out. Besides, I can't really stay out late on my b-day because I have to take the SAT the next day. Maybe he'll plan something for Saturday afternoon instead. No offense or anything, but I can't stand Orlando Bloom. Don't hit me with a stick!(sorry, Monkee moment; Davy Jones!!!)  
  
Wisecracker88 – Your wish has been granted. Hope you like the scene. I'm only good at romantic scenes, because I'm weird that way. Actually, even though I don't show it sometimes, I'm a hopeless romantic. I have an overactive imagination when it comes to romance. I guess it helps with this story.  
  
The Way You Look Tonight  
  
I sighed as I glanced out from behind stage. The audience was packed. It was obvious that everyone was ready for the special show to start. If only that big show didn't involve me. Luckily, it was one show and then my job was over for the day. Medda had asked the pianist to play so everyone could dance and have a little fun. Glancing over at Snow, I realized that she didn't seem a bit nervous, "Lucky," I muttered.  
  
"And now," I heard Medda announce, "I'd like to introduce our next act. These two have worked for a week to bring you this show especially for your enjoyment. One of them is a newcomer to the stage. I am pleased to present...Snow and Alaska!" Thunderous applause came from the audience.  
  
Taking my cue, I followed after Snow onto the stage, ignoring my nervousness for a while. We started out with kicks to cue them to start the music as well as to get the audience's attention. The music started almost immediately and we got straight to work. Snow started off the act.  
  
I was a step ahead and timed the moves perfectly to the music. I tried not to concentrate on the audience as I aimed spins, kicks, and punches. I joined after the fourth verse, singing background.  
  
I can't get out of bed today  
Or get you off my mind  
I just can't seem to find a way  
To leave the love behind  
  
I ain't trippin  
I'm just missing (you)  
You know what I'm saying  
You know what I mean  
  
I glanced around at the crowd, spotting the newsies sitting close to the front. I had noticed that they had gotten there a little earlier than most. I quickly glanced away, knowing that I couldn't allow myself to become distracted.  
  
You kept me hanging on a string  
While you made me cry  
I tried to give you everything  
But you just gave me lies  
  
I ain't trippin  
I'm just missing (you)  
You know what I'm saying  
You know what I mean (yeah)  
  
Every now and then  
  
When I'm all alone  
I be wishing you will call me on the telephone  
Say you want me back  
But you never do  
I feel like such a fool  
There's nothing I can do..  
I'm such a fool  
For you  
  
I can't take it  
what am I waiting for?  
my hearts still breaking  
I miss you even more  
And I can't fake it  
The way I could before  
I hate you, but I love you  
I can't stop thinking of you!  
It's true  
I'm stuck on you  
  
Hearing my cue, I immediately started singing. I barely paid attention to anything around me as my voice filled the room.  
  
Now love's a broken record that's  
Been skipping in my head  
I keep singing yesterday  
Why we got to play these games we play?  
  
I ain't trippin  
I'm just missing (you)  
You know what I'm saying  
You know what I mean (yeah)  
  
Every now and then  
When I'm all alone  
I be wishing you would call me on the telephone  
Say you want me back  
But you never do  
I feel like such a fool  
  
I can't take it  
what am I waiting for?  
My hearts still breaking  
I miss you even more  
And I can't fake it  
The way I could before  
I hate you, but I love you  
I can't stop thinking of you!  
It's true  
I'm stuck on you (yoooh-oooh-ooh yeah yeah)  
  
Snow joined me in singing at this point.  
  
Every now and then  
When I'm all alone  
I be wishing you would call me on the tel-e-phone  
Say you want me back  
But you never do  
I feel like such a fool  
There's nothing I can do..  
I'm such a fool  
For you  
  
I can't take it  
what am I waiting for?  
my hearts still breaking  
I miss you even more  
And I can't fake it  
The way I could before  
I hate you, but I love you  
I can't stop thinking of you-  
I hate you, but I love you  
I can't stop thinking of you  
(don't know what to do)  
I'm stuck on you  
  
As we ended the song, I was startled by the sound of applause. It seemed to come from everywhere, echoing off the walls of the building. Everyone gave the act a standing ovation. I glanced over at Snow, who was smiling widely at the audience. It took me a moment to notice that I was doing the same thing. We took our bows and exited off stage.  
  
"What do you do now," I asked Snow.  
  
"Join the party," Snow replied, "Medda said that we could wear the oufits if we wanted to." I thought for a moment before deciding to keep the outfit on. I didn't want to find another outfit. Besides, I already had all the makeup on and everything.  
  
"All right," I answered, "Are these parties any fun?" She glanced over at me like I was crazy.  
  
"Medda's parties are the best," she told me, "Of course, her parties are the only ones I ever go to." I followed her out to the stage again, which was now covered with people dancing. I had to laugh at a few people's dance techniques. When one of the guys spotted us, everyone ran over.  
  
"You two were great," Blink exclaimed, even though I know he was mainly talking to Snow. He turned to me, "I didn't know you could sing."  
  
"Neither did I," I admitted, "Or that I could dance either." This caused a few of them to laugh before they all went to dance.  
  
"Hey Alaska," a voice called out. I turned quickly to find that it was Dutchy "Is Medda back there?"  
  
"She should be," I replied. I suddenly noticed the younger girl by his side.  
  
"Could you take her back to see Medda," he asked, motioning to the girl, "This is Robin, my baby sister." Robin scowled a little at the nickname.  
  
"I'll take her back," I promised and Dutchy went to talk to his friends. I led her through the backstage and up the stairs to Medda's room. I knocked quietly on the door, entering when I was told to, "You have a visitor."  
  
Medda came to the door, smiling when she saw Robin there, "It's been forever since I've seen you! Look how much you've grown." She paused, "I have something for you." Robin's face lit up when she heard this.  
  
"Really," Robin asked. Medda nodded and went to get something. She  
came back holding a small dress, blue and a small amount of lace.  
  
"They accidentally gave us a dress a few sizes too small," Medda explained, "Instead of giving it back, I figured you might like it. Go try it on." Robin excitedly went to do just that.  
  
"I'm gonna go now," I told Medda, figuring that she wanted to spend some time with Robin, since it was obvious that they didn't see each other much.  
  
"Have fun," Medda told me, "Get on the dance floor at least once." I walked away quickly, heading back to the party.  
  
Swoosh looked around at all her friends. Most everyone seemed to be paired off with someone...except her. Dreamer was dancing a little distance away with Spot. Ears was with Bumlets, Sparks with Skittery and so on. Even Jinx was dancing with Specs and Scout had managed to get one of the guys to dance. Swoosh thought about whether or not she should just go and dance by herself. Still, she knew that it was more fun to dance with a partner than by herself. She sighed as a slow song started up. Now, this was definitely a dance she couldn't do alone.  
  
"Hi," a quiet voice said from beside her. She jumped a little and then turned to face the source of the voice.  
  
"Hey Snitch," she greeted him, "Why aren't you dancing with someone?" Snitch looked away for a second. Was Swoosh seeing things or was he blushing?  
  
"Actually," he started, "I was wondering...if you'd like to dance with me." He said this last part so fast, that Swoosh almost thought she'd imagined it, "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want..." He trailed off, as if scared of her answer.  
  
"Sure," she answered simply, although inside she was glad that he had asked. Snitch smiled as he led them onto the dance floor.  
  
I came back when another fast song started up. Not feeling up to dancing to the fast beat, I sat on the side and watched everyone else have fun. I spotted Swoosh and Snitch dancing a few feet away. Glancing around though, I didn't see Mush anywhere. I sighed, knowing that I would have to talk to him eventually.  
  
"Alaska," a voice called and then I spotted Mush heading in my direction. He came up and sat down beside me, "Where were you?"  
  
"I had to do something," I answered vaguely. I found that I couldn't look at him for very long. I was about to tell him something when he interrupted.  
  
"You look beautiful tonight," he said quickly, "I liked the act."  
  
"Thanks," I replied, looking down and knowing that I was blushing. No guy had ever told me that I was beautiful before. It was all new to me. I looked up as the beat changed and slowed down.  
  
"Do you wanna dance," he asked. I stood up and he led me to a clear area. At least this way I would be doing what Medda told me. Though I would have danced with Mush even if Medda had forbid me from dancing with any guys.  
  
For a minute we stood there, not really knowing what to do. Then he slowly placed his hands on my waist. I could feel him shaking slightly from nervousness. I brought my hands up around his neck.  
  
For a while, I couldn't look at him, not quite sure what to do while actually dancing. When I did look up at him though, he was staring at me, not daring to look at anything else. I felt myself drawn to his eyes and not wanting to look away. After a few moments of this, he leaned forward slowly and kissed me. It was better than I had ever imagined. I immediately found myself smiling. I had always figured I'd get my first kiss much later, like in my 30s or something. Apparently, I was wrong. 


	17. Tell Him About It

Notes: I'm back! I would have updated yesterday, but my best friend came over and we went to the Clay Aiken Concert. It was so cool! My best friend spent the night after that. We watched Newsies and the entire time, we were pointing at different guys and saying 'he's hot!' Finally, she agrees the Mush is hot!!! She's strictly a fan of Spot and Race.  
  
Oh, and San Antonio was okay too. It would have been better if I didn't feel like a third wheel or it wasn't my parents' anniversary. We saw the Alamo(boring), Sea World, and the Riverwalk. Riverwalk was actually pretty cool, if I didn't like walking so close to water. We also went on a carriage ride, which was awesome. I got to sit in the front, it felt weird with my parents there so the driver let me up front. I really spent most of the time wishing that my boyfriend was there. I'm never bored when he's around!  
  
Oh, and our hotel was haunted. A maid from the late 1800s was killed by her husband after she supposedly stayed the night with another man. She's told to travel the halls in her old-fashioned uniform carrying towels which she never delivers.  
  
Ok, a lot of people are asking about the ending of the last chapter. Just so I won't have to repeat this over and over in reviews, I'll tell you now. The ending actually happened to me at Snowball. It happened on the first slow song my date and I danced to. There are some other stories I could tell you about the dance, but only if you want me to. I won't make you read stories you don't want to know.  
  
Shout-Outs:  
  
NadaZimri – I know, I'm not looking forward to the ending either. I'll try to add at least one or two more chapters.  
  
Scamley Elliot – Yeah, the ending does kinda relate to my life in a way. Obviously, this isn't the end. I'll try to add more chappies. I'm hoping to end on my birthday this Friday.  
  
Repeat – Yeah, you kinda confused my on your reviewed. I think you meant that Mush and Alaska finally kissed and Snitch asked Swoosh to dance. Oh well, thanks for reviewing.  
  
Jocelyn Padoga – I'll be turning 17. Yes, it totally rocks! I won't be able to drive alone until next school year however. I knew you wouldn't be angry about the whole Orlando thing. My friends and I are just crazy about Elijah. Know what's not cool about it though? Elijah and I have the same last name. It's a family joke that him and me are really cousins. I hope not! That would be so gross! We even look somewhat alike.  
  
Wisecracker88 – I'm so glad you liked your part. I thought of it the moment I got your review about what the dream was. That was just the result of it. It's weird, I can't stand romance movies and yet I write a ton of romance in my stories.  
  
Frenchygoil – Yeah, it does sound too beautiful to be true doesn't it? It just makes the fact that it actually happened rock even more.  
  
Tell Him About It  
  
I dreaded the moment that the song ended. I had promised myself that I would tell him the truth and now was the time. The only thing I wanted at that moment was to stay in his arms forever, but I reluctantly broke the hold. Mush looked at me and I could see the hurt that filled his eyes.  
  
"I have to show you something," I told him quietly. He appeared to be puzzled for a second but followed me backstage. When we reached the dressing room, I opened the door and headed straight for the dresser. I pulled open a drawer and slowly removed a single item.  
  
"What is it," he asked as I turned around to face him.  
  
I kept my eyes fixed on the ground as I answered, "I think you'll recognize it." I looked up at him for a second before pressing the object into his hands. His eyes instantly widened at the feeling of cold metal. He opened his hand, the heart-shaped locket left hanging from its chain.  
  
"It was yours then," he questioned and he paused, "Why didn't you say something earlier?" I nervously took a step back.  
  
"I was scared to say anything," I replied softly, "I hope you're not mad. I should have told you a long time ago." I hurriedly looked back at the floor designs, not looking forward to his answer.  
  
"I'm not mad," he answered, "Everyone kinda had a feeling that it was yours."  
  
"I just felt weird telling someone that I stole something that was already mine," I admitted, smiling slightly. It was kinda funny now that I thought of it, "I guess I should tell the others."  
  
"Why," he asked, "Why not keep them guessing?"  
  
"I don't know," I replied after a moment, "Maybe because they're all wondering about it."  
  
"If you want, I'll tell them myself," he offered. I almost accepted, but knew that I had to be the one to tell them.  
  
"It's okay, I'll do it," I told him.  
  
"You can wait until after the dance," he said, "It can wait that long." I smiled at him, glad that I could at least think about how I was going to tell the guys. Mush took the locket and promised to hold onto it for me until I told everyone. He carefully placed it in one of his pockets.  
  
I allowed Mush to led me back to the stage. Several of the guys gave us looks as we returned. Obviously, they had seen what had happened earlier.  
  
A few more slow songs played before the dance ended. I looked over the crowd of people I had to talk to and almost decided to try and get away. Flare and Race were sitting at the table where all the newsies were gathered around. Several guys were involved in another poker game.  
  
"When are they going to learn not to play against Race," Mush remarked to me as we walked over. I didn't answer, too nervous to say anything. He noticed this and glanced over at me, "I'll tell them." I quickly shook my head. I had to do this myself.  
  
"Tell us what," Jack asked, obviously having heard the whispered comment. Suddenly, all eyes were on me. I took a deep breath before turning to Mush. He silently slipped the locket into my hand.  
  
I froze for a second, not knowing how to start explaining this whole thing. How would they react to the news? I turned to them, seeing their wondering glances. I knew now that I couldn't put it off any longer. I slowly took my fingers away from the locket, giving everyone a clear view of it. By their shocked expressions, I knew that an explanation wasn't necessary.  
  
"This is mine," I said, knowing how obvious it was, "I took it a few days ago. I'm sorry."  
  
"That was you a few nights ago," Blink asked, "Why didn't you just stop for us?"  
  
"Yeah, this could have ended a long time ago," Race said.  
  
"Would you have stopped if twenty guys were chasing you," I asked. A look around at their faces told me that they would have ran to, "I was scared, ok? I didn't know what you guys would do."  
  
"What were you doing up there anyway," Jack asked.  
  
"Looking at the pictures," I said, motioning to the locket, "It's the only thing I have left of my family." There was silence all around after that comment. They understood completely what I was going through.  
  
"What happened to them," Mush asked quietly. I looked over at everyone, their eyes asking the same question. I sighed and then began the story. It was a long time before anyone left that night. 


	18. I'll Make You Mine Tonight

Notes: Sorry the update took so long. I wish I could make this even longer, but a plot twist would only add to the confusion of this story. So, this is the last chapter. I honestly can't think of another chapter to add though. Everyone will make an appearance. I'm really sorry if I haven't included your character lately. I hope everyone likes this chapter.  
  
I saw Scooby Doo 2 yesterday. It was really good. The only bad part of today was SATs in the morning. Everything else was good. My boyfriend came over to the movie with me...and my dad, who insisted on accompanying us. Luckily, he sat a few rows back. It's so much better than the first one. It's a lot funnier.  
  
I would have updated yesterday, but I was talking with a friend on the Internet and lost track of time. Besides, my boyfriend was over from around 2 to 9 last night. He's so nice. He brought me flowers for my b-day, a new journal (which I've actually been needing), a card, and one of those huge Hershey's Kisses. It's so cool that my entire family likes him, even my dog. Then today, I had a party. We went out to eat and then to see Hidalgo. It's good. Lots of birthday plans the last three days. I made a Monkey Newsie at the Build-A-Bear at the mall. It's really cute. My friend and I named him Racetrack.  
  
Hey, if any of you ever want to talk or something, you can e-mail me. Remember the address is trybottlealley@go.com Leave a message. I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have. I also have AIM as MatchingLaces and MSN as my old address, justus2003@charter.net You can still contact me through this e-mail address too. I would like to talk to any of you.  
  
Shout-Outs:  
  
Jocelyn Padoga – Congrats on getting your license! I'm happy for you. Yes, I'm serious about the concert. It was wonderful. What's your fave song? I love them all. Guess what? My friend and I met his bodyguard in the lobby(I guess you could call it), but he wouldn't get us autographs from Clay. That man is much taller in person. I really hope I'm not related to Elijah too. I've been taking a bunch of obsession quizzes about him and guess what? I'm obsessed!!! That would make it really weird if we were related. Even weirder, our first names even sound kinda similar...if you really think about it.  
  
Wisecracker88 – I would love to continue this story, but a plot twist would only add to the confusion. Besides, I have a lot of stuff to do and don't have the time. With my b-day on Friday and SATs on Saturday and then my party on Sunday, it's gonna be kinda busy. Plus, there are the projects that I have to do for photography and english. Love the classes, hate the work. Man, now I wish I had done Elijah Wood for my research project. He's led a pretty interesting life.  
  
NadaZimri – Now that I think of it, maybe Alaska should have stopped. I mean, if twenty hot boys were after me...I probably would be too busy staring. But then, what kind of plot would that be? Unfortunately, I've dragged this story out as much as I can. It's ending too soon to my liking too. Hope you've enjoyed it anyway.  
  
GeometryGal – It's ok that you didn't review last time. I don't expect everyone to review for every chapter. Wow, I'll have a lot of stories to tell you if you want to hear about my guy. It's almost like he's too 'perfect', I guess, sometimes. He's definitely the nicest guy I've ever met. E-mail with some things that you'd like to know.  
  
Written Sparks – It's nice to hear from you again. My computer is starting to like me again too, well not entirely, but close enough. I've missed getting reviews from you. I'm glad you still like this story. Looking forward to getting your next part.  
  
I'll Make You Mine Tonight  
  
I woke up the next morning to pure silence. I guess since I had been up late telling my story the girls decided that everyone deserved to sleep in. Everyone had a lot of questions for me, wanting to know all about my family and what I remembered about them. I guess a lot of them don't remember that well or not at all., since so few of them had families. I had passed around the locket so that everyone could see the pictures. I guess it was my own way to show them how important it was to me. They didn't leave until Medda finally kicked them out. Not that I wanted them to leave, but that I was too tired to do any more talking.  
  
When a light knocking sounded on my door, I looked up reluctantly. I decided to not say anything and see if the person would go away. Just my luck, a few seconds later the knocking came again.  
  
"What," I called out, not bothering to hide my annoyance in the morning. I didn't receive an answer and sighed, "You can come in." The door opened silently and I saw Jaws standing behind it. She entered and closed the door quietly behind her. I sat up to make room for her to sit down.  
  
"Hi," she said quietly.  
  
"What's going on," I asked her, "Did your date go well?" I noticed that her face immediately lit up at the thought of Snoddy.  
  
"It was great," she told me, "I never thought dancing could be fun before." I smiled at her, glad that she had a good time, "I'm surprised though."  
  
I looked at her in confusion, "About what?" What she said next however wasn't what I would have expected.  
  
"Why did you tell everyone about the locket," Jaws asked, "And about your family?"  
  
"It was bound to happen sometime," I replied, "It just happened sooner than I thought." I paused when she didn't say anything, "Do you need anything?"  
  
"Uh, no," Jaws answered, "We're about to meet the guys for lunch. Wanna come?" I gave her a strange look, "It's almost noon." I groaned, never having slept this late before.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be there in a while," I told her, "I'll get ready and meet everyone there." Jaws nodded and stood up to leave the room.  
  
I was just about to get ready when another knock sounded. Sighing and fully expecting another of the girls, I called out, "I'll be there in a second. Hold on."  
  
"Alaska," a voice asked and the door opened a crack. Instead of any of the girls, Mush was standing there.  
  
"Oh, hi Mush," I greeted him, slightly embarrassed at him seeing me at my worst. I could literally feel my hair sticking up everywhere. I quickly tried to flatten it out. Mush laughed when he saw me. I must look really bad, I thought to myself. I smiled nervously at him, "Excuse me a minute."  
  
He laughed again, but left the room. I changed quickly, putting on a hat when I realized that my hair was not going to cooperate with me right now. I came out a few minutes later to find him waiting outside the door, "Ready to go," he asked. I nodded and followed him outside.  
  
When we arrived at the popular diner, I realized that everyone was there already. I turned when someone called out. I spotted Dreamer waving us over from her table. I noticed that Spot was sitting next to her. I hadn't really been introduced to him yet, but I'd heard plenty of stories from Dreamer about him.  
  
"Hi," I greeted them quietly, not really comfortable around someone I didn't really know. I smiled though when Mush grabbed my hand and gave me a quick smile, as if to say that it would be okay.  
  
"What'll it be," Jinx asked, walking up to the table. I noticed the teasing glances she was giving me and Mush.  
  
"What are you lookin' at," Mush asked her, mock glaring in her direction. Jinx rolled her eyes at him. It was obvious that they were good friends.  
  
"Just the people who haven't given me an order yet," she answered, "What do you want?" We quickly realized that everyone else at our table had ordered and did so ourselves. Jinx walked back to place the order.  
  
"What took you so long," Spot asked.  
  
"I just slept until noon," I answered, talking more to myself than to him, not really noting my own sarcasm. Right after I woke up was not a time to ask me questions.  
  
"It's okay," Dreamer told me, "I slept in too. Medda gave everyone the day off. No one has stayed up that late at a party before." Spot was glaring at me slightly, but I guess he decided to lay off on me. I'm sure he wasn't a morning person either, but it was only a guess.  
  
"Medda usually does that," Snow cut in, showing up beside our table. We moved over to make room for her and Blink, "She gives us a least one day off a month, or every two weeks if we're lucky. She knows that we get overworked sometimes." I nodded, the only signal she would get that I was listening.  
  
"How long were you working on that routine," Blink asked us.  
  
"About a week," Snow replied, shooting him a teasing glance, proud of herself for keeping that one secret to herself. Blink pretended to be mad at this fact, but failed miserably. Instead, he playfully pushed her, causing her to knock into Dreamer.  
  
"Hey," Dreamer called out, but laughed and reached over to push him back. This soon caused a small fight to go on. Everyone was staring at the table, wondering what was going on.  
  
"Cut it out," Britts called out, walking over. She jokingly rolled her eyes at us, "You're scaring away all the customers." A quick glance around showed that most people were staring at our table in confusion or looking around for an opening to leave. One guy slipped out the door, "Oh well, he didn't get anything anyway." We all laughed and promised to at least try and calm down.  
  
Jinx came back with our food. We quickly finished and were told that everyone was going to the lodging house next. Since we had the day off, we figured that we had the time. I guess no one was in the mood for selling either. Swifty and Specs stayed behind, promising to meet up with us later.  
  
"Wanna play poker," Race asked the second I stepped foot into the building. Flare looked at me from his other side.  
  
"Don't do it," she told me.  
  
"Let her make her own decisions," Race cut her off, mock glaring at her. He turned back to me.  
  
"And let me help her," Flare suggested, giving him a friendly punch, "Get out of here while you still can."  
  
"Leave her alone Race," Ears commented, seeming to come from the shadows behind him. Bumlets was right behind her. Race nearly shrieked upon seeing her.  
  
"Let's go Flare," he said suddenly, taking her hand. Flare laughed and Race just glared at her as they walked off to play poker far away from Ears.  
  
"You can play with us," Ears invited, pointing off to a smaller group, "We don't usually bet, just play for fun." I agreed and walked over to join them. I saw Mush in the group, with Snitch, Swoosh, Scout, Dutchy, and Robin. I took a spot next to Mush.  
  
Robin was looking over Dutchy's shoulder. "Can I play," she asked, glancing at the cards in his hand.  
  
"Sure you can play," he told her and then moved over to make space, "No betting this time guys." The others nodded in agreement and he dealed out the cards. Robin glanced at her cards and then nudged Dutchy slightly.  
  
"Now what," she asked. Everyone laughed as Dutchy started to explain the rules of the game. She traded two cards after getting instructions from her brother. The rest of the group exchanged cards and one by one put them down.  
  
"Beat that," Swoosh exclaimed, putting her hand on the floor. She laughed as everyone stared at her full house.  
  
"I'm out," Scout announced, putting down the hand she had. A few others did the same. Dutchy didn't say anything the whole time. He was talking to Robin. He grinned as she put down her hand, looking slightly confused.  
  
"I think she just did," he told Swoosh as Robin revealed her straight flush.  
  
"What," Swoosh yelled, "but she's just a little kid. She's never played before."  
  
"It looks like she beat you," Scout said, not bothering to hide her amusement, "Imagine that."  
  
"Don't you guys say a word," Swoosh warned them.  
  
"Scout's honor," Scout promised her. Swoosh just gave her a strange look.  
  
"You're not even a scout," Swoosh said, "Just don't say anything."  
  
"I don't have to," Scout replied, pointing out that every head in the bunkroom was directed at them, "They just heard every word. They've been paying attention ever since you yelled." She smirked at Swoosh, who looked like she wanted to pretend that the whole thing never happened.  
  
"I won then," Robin asked, still confused. Dutchy laughed and then nodded. I glanced around at all the people in the bunkroom, laughing and joking with each other.  
  
As Mush silently took my hand and gestured that he wanted to walk, I noticed one thing. Everything felt different for once. All that I could ever have dreamed of had just come true. And suddenly...I didn't feel so invisible anymore. 


End file.
